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by Summer Potter
Summary: The finale of the FOREVER trilogy. Hope Potter is off to Hogwarts but a thirst for revenge plots to revive a terrifying act of evil. Hope and her friends must fight for their lives as Death Eaters turn to ancient magic to take the wizarding world at last.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Ben's Picture**

Hope sighed and slouched in her chair as she swung her feetf forward and back. Her headmaster had left to call her parents and she'd been in his office for the past hour. He had lectured her for the most part, but here and there, he'd throw in many threats of expulsion.

She hadn't meant to do anything but the headmaster had coldly reminded her this was her third offense of severe misbehavior. Of course, it wasn't her fault. Being a young witch with no magical training, she couldn't really do anything but _try_ to control her temper.

This time, one of her classmates was bullying her so she had accidentally turned her into a duck when the bully had cornered her in the girls' bathroom. The headmaster didn't realize this and therefore was punishing her with a forty-eight hour suspension for setting a living animal loose in the school.

Suddenly, the office door opened and Headmaster Davidson walked into the room, looking quite frustrated, followed by her father. Hope observed his casual muggle clothes, half-wishing he'd shown up in his robes just to freak out Headmaster Davidson.

"Mr. Potter, please take a seat," he said curtly, gesturing at the only other seat in his office, next to Hope. She looked up at her Dad and was surprised to see that he looked rather amused. He sat down, glancing at Hope. She could have sworn he winked at her but he sobered quickly and turned his attention to Mr. Davidson.

"Mr. Potter we have decided to give your daughter a two-day suspension for her behaviour, considering that this is her third offense. First she threw a plate of food at one of her peers," Hope winced slightly. That wasn't entirely true. Her temper had gotten away from her when Natalie Rendavis called her a snotty, spoiled brat.

"The second was for being out of bounds," he said, ticking the offense off on his fingers. Hope rolled her eyes; Okay, that was her own fault, but it was only because she hadn't eaten lunch since she had to finish a report and therefore had sneaked into the cafeteria kitchen to get food.

"And the third was for setting a live animal into the school, leaving us at risk for animal cruelty charges."

"I assume this goes on her permanent record?" Harry asked seriously, glancing at Hope with a serious expression. Hope chanced a sideways look at her father when he'd turned back and worriedly noted that he no longer seemed amused. Hope supposed her father being angry with her wouldn't be nearly as bad as what her mother would say.

"Oh, yes, I'm afraid so. Miss Potter, we will see you back at school in forty-eight hours time. I'm also to inform the both of you that another offense like this _will_earn Miss Potter an expulsion from this school and all schools in England."

Hope stood up, tears shining behind her eyes. Wait until her mother heard about this! Her father got up and apologized to the headmaster as Hope left the office to go collect her things to go home. She hung her head on the walk home, praying that she wouldn't run into any of her classmates, who would no doubt tease her endlessly for the punishment.

She returned to the front doors in five minutes time, to see her father waiting for her. He led her outside in silence and then finally broke the silence with a chuckle, a boyish grin on his face.

"Hope, you could have done better than a _duck_. You've got Potter blood... maybe a little more creativity?"

Hope gaped at her father, shocked. "Dad, I broke the law!" A smile tugged at her lips, but she didn't dare let it show since she still felt ashamed of herself. "Mum will hex me into next week!"

He put his arm around his daughter's shoulder, still grinning. "Don't worry, Hope. I cast a memory charm on him to forget adding it to your permanent record. You'll go back to school in a few days. I had no idea that duck was caused by you, but the accidental magic reversal squad already covered you up on that one."

Hope groaned and adjusted her backpack as they headed down the street toward the park where he could disapparate with her safely out of sight. "Dad, I'm sick of not being able to control it."

Harry nodded and hugged her to him. "Don't worry, angel. It's not forever, you know. And I used to get in trouble _all_the time when I was your age, remember? It's normal."

Hope didn't say anything to this. _Normal_. Sometimes she wished she was.

...

Benjamin Potter looked up from his drawing as his sister and father apparated into the house. He looked back down and picked up a red crayon to continue colouring his picture.

"Hello Jack!" Harry greeted his son teasingly, ruffling his already messy hair as he passed.

"Daddy, my name is Ben not Jack!" Ben moaned, scribbling on his paper and then picking up the black crayon.

Harry grinned and looked around the house. "Where's Mummy?"

Ben continued to colour and didn't look up as he answered very conversationally: "Upstairs cleaning my walls."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "And why is she cleaning your walls?"

"Because I drawed all over them," Ben answered matter-of-factly.

Hope rolled her eyes at her brother and went to go hang up her coat. Unlike her brother, she looked more like her mother with long, wavy red locks and freckles on her nose. Benjamin Potter was only five and he looked like their father. He was a small little thing with messy dark brown hair and round green eyes.

Ben, it was said jokingly, had inherited the Weasley temper. He was a very independent child and liked to try things on his own. While Hope's accidental magic seemed to gain more negative attention than Ben's 'adorable spell-casting,' Hope felt that Ben's habits of 'explosive' spells should earn him punishment.

There were footsteps on the stairs as Ginny came down. Her mother was pretty and nearly as famous as their dad, simply for being his wife. She was in the magazines a lot but neither she or Ben was necessarily allowed to see the pictures, but neither of them really knew why. Sometimes Hope would sneak peaks at magazines at shops to see the paparazzi making a ridiculous deal out of her parents' marriage.

"Hope's suspended for transfiguring some girl into a duck," Hope heard her father tell her mother with an amused tone. Hope doubted that her mother would find it as funny.

There was a pause and then: "Hope!" Her mother called.

Hope sighed and walked into the dining room where Ginny was pouring herself a cup of tea when she looked up at her daughter sternly.

"Hope, please explain what happened today?"

Hope hesitated. "I accidentally turned a girl into a duck because she was going to stuff my head down a toilet or hit me or something. They don't ever leave me alone. They tease me for being a freak..." She pulled herself miserably into a chair across the table from her mother and put her head in her hands.

"You're almost through with muggle school," Harry reminded her gently as he sat next to Ginny.

Her mother sighed. "Oh, dear. Harry, have you called the Ministry to have damage control done?"

Harry shook his head no, telling her it had been taken care of before the headmaster had even called him.

"Sweetheart, you know you can't let those girls get to you every time," Ginny reprimanded her wearily. "Just because Dad has got Ministry connections doesn't mean we should be assigning you your own crew of magical reversal workers."

"I know, Mum. The girl cornered me... I panicked."

Ginny stirred cream into her tea and nodded. "I know. Just... try not to transfigure muggles anymore. You'll be at Hogwarts soon enough."

"I'm sorry, Mum. I wish I could control it."

Ginny smiled at her daughter's honest guiltiness in her wish. "All kids feel the way you do when these things happen."

"It happens when your parents are just so incredibly talented," Harry interjected lightly, making Ginny laugh aloud and the tension to melt away. When her dad slid an arm around mum's waist, Hope knew it was a good time to make her exit.

She left the kitchen to go sit beside her brother at the table, where she had spotted a plate of cookies. Plopping herself next to him, she snatched a cookie off the plate and looked at her brother's drawing with a frown.

"What's that supposed to be?" She asked in a rather disgusted tone.

Ben looked annoyed and scrunched his nose. "I don't know… I dreamed about it last night, Hope."

Hope continued to stare at the picture. Although it looked like a lot was squiggles and scribbled lines, some of it was a little disturbing. There was this tall person-like blotch coloured black, with an arm out to a smaller green squiggled figure who seemed to be crying. Then there were lots of multi-coloured lines shooting about the page.

Hope shook her head, trying not to think about it. It was probably nothing. Still… she knew there was something going on in Britain. She glanced down at her right arm… staring at the scar that had been taking a permanent residence on her arm. It usually just came and went with her fiery moods, but not anymore. It was strange, and she still didn't truly understand the scar's meaning. Her parents had just told her that it had happened because of rare magic between her father and herself and it had replicated the scar on her father's forehead.

Then there was her father. He was volunteering a lot of his time at the Ministry, helping the Aurors get organized and there was even some talk about joining up with them again. Hope hadn't dared to ask about it though. Her mother hated the idea and the one time that she _did_ask if her father was going to be an Auror again, her parents had argued for the remainder of the day. He played professional Quidditch now, under Oliver Wood, his old Gryffindor captain for Puddlemere United.

Harry suddenly appeared and snatched a cookie off the plate. Ben looked up from his picture and tugged at his father's sleeve.

"Daddy, can you make my picture move?" Ben asked, setting down an orange crayon. Harry nodded, swallowing and pulling out his wand and absently tapping the picture as he pulled the latest issue of the _Daily Prophet_towards himself.

Hope frowned and watched the picture. The black blotch was moving around, trying to reach for the small figure who kept dodging it. The colourful lines were flashing and shooting around the page, making the scene with the black blotch and the small figure almost invisible.

"Ben what is it supposed to be?" Hope repeated in irritation.

Ben hopped off his seat with his picture with a shrug. "I don't know Ho-pey. It's a picture."

"Don't call me that," she snapped absently, selecting another cookie as her brother walked away, pondering over the drawing some more. Her mother walked into the room and huffed angrily, her hands on her hips.

"Benjamin! Come clean up these crayons!" She called impatiently. "I just finished with your walls, young man." Harry started to chuckle when Ginny turned on him and pulled the paper lower so she could look at him in the eyes. "And you... Harry, you're boots were filthy when you came in and you left them on the rug again. The poor house elves must spend half their time cleaning up after you."

Before Hope could get yelled at too, she departed from her mother's wrath and went upstairs, wondering why a little boy's picture was so disturbing to her.

...

Drew gazed sleepily into the fire, allowing the dancing flames to hypnotize her. The room was dark with tall shadows on the walls. When the door opened, she twisted around to see Draco Malfoy being forced into the room by two men.

She stood gracefully, her long robes billowing beyond her as she walked over to him. He glared at her, his cold blue eyes narrowing with fury as he was released and he stood taller.

"What is it you want?" He asked nastily. "It isn't necessary to have me dragged here like a felon."

"You've been ignoring me, Draco." Drew said silkily, signaling to the other two men to leave. "I don't like to be ignored."

Draco let out an angry breath of air."Cut the bullshit. What is it that you want?" Draco snapped. "You've been owling me constantly, sending messengers..."

Drew paused, her dark eyes full of promise. "It wouldn't be necessary if you made yourself available to the world, Draco."

Draco said nothing for a moment, hatred etched on every line of his face. "You drag me here so I can play guessing games?"

"No, I had you dragged here because I need your help. You know the circumstances… you're father was one of the best and he's gone thanks to Potter. We need to put the Dark Lord's final plan into action, Draco. You've got reasons just as much as I do."

Draco folded his arms. "And I also know that a woman such as yourself would benefit much better than giving up, rather than engaging in foolish activity that Potter will have you sentenced to death for!"

"Coward," Drew scoffed, folding her arms. "Potter hasn't sentenced you to death. Proves that all I'd need to do is grovel on my knees and donate a sizable amount to the Ministry."

"How dare you-" Draco made a move to step forward but Drew's wand was suddenly in her hand and she tutted and brandished it at him.

"Don't be a fool, Malfoy. Help me and I'll make it worth your while. All we need to do is kill Potter and take his daughter's powers to complete the spell. The Dark Lord will rise again and you'll be free from public humiliation."

"You weren't even around for the war! Why should I take orders from you?"

Drew leaned against the wall. "Because I've already got the support of others and _you_ are a washed out rat, Malfoy. I want you to help me because of your knowledge of Potter."

Draco pursed his lips and stared at her furiously. She extended her hand toward him. "Do we have a deal?"

Draco shook her hand with reluctance. "Disappoint me, Drew… and you'll certainly regret it."

She laughed at his threat. "Good. I'll be in touch, Draco."

Draco muttered a curse under his breath at the thought of seeing her again and disapparated. Drew simply smiled, winding a lock of hair around her finger as she sat back down in front of the fire.

Things were _finally_going her way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Family Life**

Hope stood on her bed as she used a red marker to cross out another day on her Quidditch calendar. She capped the marker with a satisfied smile as she counted only two more weeks until she would be off to Hogwarts. She had jumped for joy on her last day of muggle school and couldn't wait to get on with her life as a witch. She almost felt sorry for all her classmates she was leaving behind as they would continue to learn about boring muggle things while she mixed potions and learned exciting spells and charms.

Tossing the marker onto her desk, she settled onto her bed with her new charms textbook and huddled in the blankets as she read. Her Aunt Hermione had been nagging her to start studying since she'd finished school in June, but Hope didn't need the lectures. Although she was dying to go to Hogwarts, the truth was that she was terrified.

_Everyone_ in the wizarding world knew who her father was, and who his friends were. Everyone knew all the things Harry Potter had accomplished; everyone knew how her mother's brother had gone through school alongside Harry and faced seven years of mortal danger with him. Aunt Hermione had her fame too, and her name also brought expectations to Hope as a witch. She had an image to uphold as a Potter... All her late-night studying was partly out of curiosity, the rest was out of nerves.

Every time she accidentally used magic, Hope felt relieved satisfaction. It was as close to practicing as she'd legally get and some magic was better than none. She was envious of Ben who was much younger and more frequently had magical bursts. She had asked her mother about it, but she had laughed and said it was your temper that usually caused magic, and Ben was too young to control his temper, let alone his magic.

_Unlocking spells and locking spells_. Hope sighed and began to focus on the page in front of her, waving a pencil in the place of a wand. She had been practicing for no longer than five minutes when her door opened and Ben stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Hope?" He squeaked softly, taking a small step forward.

"What's wrong?" Hope whispered back, glancing at the clock on the wall and noting it was after ten.

"I had a nightmare again. Can I sit with you for a bit?"

Hope nodded and Ben immediately closed the door and raced to his sister's bed. He climbed up and got under the covers, pulling them up to his neck. The fear in his expression tugged at Hope's heart strings for her little brother.

"What did you dream about?" Hope asked softly, resting her book in her lap.

"I don't remember... it was scary." Ben was staring at the ceiling. "Someone was chasing me."

"You always dream about getting chased," Hope said thoughtfully. "When I learn Divination at school, they'll teach us about dreams and I'll tell you what it means."

"What's Devenition?" Ben asked curiously.

"Div-in-ation," she corrected automatically. "And its like tea-reading and stuff. Aunt Hermione told me I shouldn't take it. I think it'd be better than muggle studies."

"I don't want to learn about muggles either," Ben added seriously. He yawned and turned on his side, looking at the book Hope held with heavy eye lids. "What's that book, Hope?"

"My Charms book. I was reading it."

Ben looked eager. "Were you learning your magic? Could you teach me?"

Hope laughed. "Maybe you should teach me. I wish I did magic more like you did. Maybe then I could practice the spells from the books."

Ben's eyes were closed, his dream forgotten. It took him a long moment to answer Hope. "Mummy doesn't like all my magic. Sometimes I get in trouble."

Suddenly Hope's door opened again and their mother appeared, looking confused. She sighed at seeing Ben curled up beside Hope in her bed and padded softly into the room.

Ginny folded her arms, a small smile on her face. "I walked past his room and saw his bed empty."

Ben's eyes were open again. "I had a nightmare," he explained sadly.

Ginny scooped up her son and kissed his cheek. "Do you feel any better?"

Ben nodded, yawning once more. "I feel better with Hope." This made Ginny smile and Hope's cheeks turn pink. It was true that every time Ben found anything scary he ran to his sister's side. Hope thought it was sweet.

Ginny rubbed at his back. "I'm glad! But how about we tuck you into your own bed so you and Hope can get some sleep?"

Ben nodded sleepily, resting his head on his mum's shoulder. Ginny hugged Hope with her free arm and kissed the top of her head. "Night, angel." She noticed the spell book on her bed and raised her eye brow. "Hope, if I didn't know better, I'd say you belonged to your Aunt Hermione. Ten more minutes and then its bed time, okay?"

"Okay, Mum," Hope agreed, glad that she wasn't getting lectured about not being asleep yet. "Goodnight!"

Her mother murmured goodnight and carried Ben back to his room, leaving Hope to continue learning about locking and unlocking doors.

With both of her kids tucked in for the night, Ginny walked down the hall and up a small flight of stairs that led to the master suite where she and Harry slept. He was already upstairs, wearing nothing but his boxers, and reading the newspaper in bed. The front page caught her attention as an evil-looking wizard struggled against his shackles in front of a court house.

"Another Death Eater?" Ginny asked grimly, nodding at the picture of the man glowering at her.

Harry flipped to the front cover with a resigned expression. "Pathetic, isn't it? It's been years and these people are still roaming around in a murderous rage."

Ginny sighed and began to undress. She could feel Harry's eyes on her as she slipped off her pants, so with her back to him, made a bit of a show of removing her shirt and bra. Little moments of intimacy were hard to come by with two children. She then pulled on a black night dress and waved her hand at the light to dim it.

Harry was smiling crookedly at her, his arms folded and the paper forgotten on the night stand beside him. Ginny smiled innocently back, raising her eyebrows as she dragged a brush through her fiery red locks.

"What?" She asked him, laughing at his expression.

"Minx," he chortled. "Are the kids in bed?"

"Yes," she said, setting down the brush and beginning to straighten up her vanity, taking her time with organizing everything.

Suddenly, Ginny was lifted off the ground and zooming backwards, landing easily in Harry's lap on the bed. Ginny laughed and then swatted at him playfully.

"Harry, we've _talked_ about this. You can't just summon me whenever you want-" his lips capturing hers quickly ended the mock-lecture. Ginny chuckled against his mouth as she stretched out on top of him and tangled her fingers in his hair.

His arms held her to his body, pressing her in close to his chest as he kissed her deeply. The kiss continued like this for a few minutes until he rolled her onto her back and propped himself up to keep most of his weight off her and kissed her with more passion. A soft moan escaped her lips as Harry kissed at her jaw, her neck and then her lips again, the passion growing.

Ginny smiled in bliss, tucking one arm behind her head. As he kissed down her neck again and toward her chest, Ginny's head turned toward the side in pleasure, eyes half open. The moment quickly ended when she spotted the Ministry form on the table with a bolded phrase that made her heart skip a beat.

**Auror Re-application forms will be due on September 2****nd**** at 12:00 pm**

Shocked, Ginny sat up and reached for the papers, startling Harry. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and touched her face, concern and mild disappointment etched in his facial features.

"Gin?"

Ginny read and re-read the first paragraph, feeling shock and horror in the pit of her stomach. She thrust it out toward him, searching his face.

"When were you going to tell me, Harry?"

Harry took the paper and coloured when he realized which papers they were. He cursed himself mentally for forgetting to put them away before she saw them. Harry sat back on his side of the bed, knowing the moment of passion was over now that she had found the Ministry's letter.

"Harry?" She prompted irritably.

"Gin, nothing has changed. I didn't lie before... They keep approaching me about it and this came in the mail today. I didn't ask about re-applying. They want me back, end of story."

Ginny stared at him, pulling her legs up to the chest. "Do you _want_ to go back? It seems it's all anyone can talk about. It's all over the news! Gossip about your return to the Aurors..." she ran her fingers distractedly through her long hair.

Harry folded the letter up and placed it on top of _The Daily Prophet_. "I swore to you that I would do what was best for this family," he told her honestly. "I've considered it, but Quidditch _is_ the healthier choice, so for right now, no I'm not going back."

"What do you mean _right now_?" Her voice was bitter as she glared at Harry.

Harry hesitated, wondering how much he should tell her, considering the Ministry didn't have much evidence that something was happening. "It means there's reason to believe there's something going on because the Death Eaters seem... more odd than normal. Nothing's happened yet but the Aurors have a bad feeling."

Ginny got on her knees and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Harry, this isn't your fight. Voldemort was your fight because it was in the prophecy, but this one... this _revolt_ is not. Leave it to the Ministry. Please, Harry." She looked at him pleadingly. "You've got Hope and Ben to think about now. If you ever got hurt... if anything happened to you... how could I tell them that their father won't be coming home?"

Harry tentatively pulled her toward him, half-afraid that she'd push him away. Thankfully, she came easily into his arms. "I know," he murmured, holding her tight. "I don't mean to upset you... I'm sorry. I just get really anxious about all of you. If there was an attack and I didn't do anything to protect you three?" He shook his head. "I'd feel responsible for not doing anything."

Her expression softened immediately and she touched his face gently. "We need you _here_, Harry. And you're not an Auror anymore, you play Quidditch. Please, please promise me you won't run off to battle."

Harry nodded, a lump in his throat. "Alright," he agreed quietly. "I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Old Enemies**

"Dominic, please hold still for Madame Malkin. If she can't alter your robes, you'll trip your way down the corridors!" Hermione lectured from the bench by the window as she watched her son be fitted for his Hogwarts robes. In her lap she held a thick book, but she couldn't bring herself to read it; this was far too exciting. Next to her, Ginny sat with her with a quiet smile on her face, revelling in his proud moment.

Hope stood on the stool beside Dominic, smirking at her cousin who froze at his mother's words. Dominic had been animatedly explaining to her about the two brooms his father had brought home from the Ministry. They had apparently been confiscated for use in front of muggles and Ron had cleverly altered the paper work so he could take the brooms home. Hermione hadn't been too impressed but Dominic was thrilled.

"You're done, Miss Potter!" The young witch who had been adjusting Hope's robes told her cheerily and Hope happily hopped off her stool and went to go change back into her normal robes.

"It's nice that Hope and Dom have each other for this," Hermione gushed to Ginny, watching Madame Malkin dismiss Dominic so he could go get changed. "Being a muggle, I was scared to pieces over this. Our kids are lucky to have all the help to make this transition easier."

Ginny nodded looking thoughtful. "I guess I didn't ever think of how difficult it would be for you or for Harry. I watched all my brothers get on that train, and I knew that my parents did, and their parents before them."

Hope came out with her new robes folded neatly in her arms, with a smile on her face. Ginny smiled back, feeling her daughter's excitement. She still distinctly remembered all of this, though she was glad that financially, she could afford to support Hope. Not that she ever resented her mother, but Ginny had always felt guilty about purchasing new things for school when her family wasn't well off. She stood to go and pay for the robes just as Dominic hurried from his own change room with his new robes.

A few minutes later, the four of them were on the street again and off to buy quills, ink and parchment. Ginny and Hermione followed behind Hope and Dominic who were again engaged in an excited conversation about flying as they discussed their first flying lessons.

"I can't wait for that," Dominic told Hope proudly. "It's nice to know there's one class I'm already prepared for."

"I'll show you who's the better beginner," Hope taunted teasingly, to which Dominic made a face at her in response. "I'll fly circles around you, Dom, and you know it."

"Yeah, because the Professor will believe that the daughter of the great _Harry Potter_, now professional Quidditch player, is a _beginner_. Good luck, Hope."

Hope suddenly looked devious. "Wouldn't it be funny if on the first day we made total fools of ourselves on purpose?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and whispered to Hermione. "Ever regret that Dom inherited Ron's interests and flying abilities instead of your love of reading?"

Hermione chuckled. "Sometimes, but Dom's got my brains. He just doesn't always apply himself; Ron can be a bad influence. It's a good thing he had to work today. He'd be supporting Hope's plan 110%"

When Draco Malfoy emerged from a side shop and Hope and Dominic nearly barrelled into him, the mood quickly went from cheery to icy tension. Draco glared furiously at the kids, who backed up, looking confused and frightened at Draco's expression.

"Potter, Weasley," Draco sneered, spotting Ginny and Hermione behind Hope and Dominic. "It has been a long time." His black eyes fell back on Hope and Dominic and he smirked.

"Charming children," he said lightly before he looked angry again. "Foolishly clumsy though! Don't they teach you manners at home? I guess it must be the shock that someone with Weasley blood can suddenly afford _the best_!" His eyes moved back to Hope and his lips twitched as he stared at the small red-headed girl.

Hermione gaped. "How _dare you_!"

"Back off Malfoy," Ginny warned tersely, stepping up to put a hand on both Dominic and Hope's shoulders protectively. "Wouldn't want the Aurors suspecting you of foul play."

Draco glared at Ginny and then straightened himself importantly and stormed off down the alley without another word. They all watched him go until he disappeared into the crowd.

"He hasn't changed at all," Hermione observed cynically.

"Harry says he doesn't leave home much anymore because of the disgrace to the Malfoy name and all the accusations against his family."

"That was the guy that Dad and Uncle Harry had to put up with at Hogwarts?" Dominic asked worriedly to his mother and aunt.

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. That was Draco Malfoy."

"He _looked_ mean," Hope added grimly.

Hermione nodded. "He wouldn't have tried anything here with all these people, though. We were safe."

Dominic looked frightened. "Safe? Would he have attacked us? He kept looking at Hope funny." He glanced at his cousin anxiously, but Hope was staring at her shoes pointedly.

"Draco was always jealous of your father, Hope," Ginny explained to her gently. "He's never seen you before and he'd be curious to see Harry's daughter. He's strange so don't let it bother you."

"I didn't like how he looked at her," Dominic reiterated worriedly. Hermione gave him a look to silence him.

Trying to calm the kids, she spoke coolly. "Stop making Hope nervous, Dominic. Aunt Ginny is right... Draco Malfoy just has a curiosity with anything to do with Harry Potter. No, he would _not_ have attacked... it was just a poor choice of words."

Hope nodded, hoping her face didn't betray how she felt inside. She wanted to believe her mom and Aunt Hermione were right... but she also agreed with Dominic. Draco Malfoy had looked at her like he was confirming something, like he was happy that he ran into her. She wasn't stupid; she knew that death threats were common from Death Eaters. Her father had killed the most evil wizard in the world and Hope had watched enough muggle movies and read enough books to know that when one bad guy got killed, others liked to seek revenge. And it was too scary to think that she might be the way he wanted to get his revenge.

Later that day, Hope was over at Dominic's house, watching him fill up his new trunk with his school things. Hope sat on her cousin's bed, only half-listening to his chatter. Her own mind was buzzing worriedly.

"Do you think my family is cursed?" Hope asked her cousin, interrupting him.

Dominic paused with his potions kit in hand, his eyebrows raised. "Cursed? Hope, that's ridiculous." He carefully set it in the trunk, adjusting the other things so that it fit better.

"Maybe not," Hope argued thoughtfully. "My grandparents were killed by Voldemort, then there's my dad... I'd be the third Potter in line. Trouble just finds me, Dom."

"Accidentally using magic at a muggle school doesn't count as trouble. Hope, Voldemort is gone so there's no raving lunatic who is out to get your family."

Hope sighed. She knew he was right, but she was still bothered by what happened in Diagon Alley.

"Dad told me a lot of stories about Draco Malfoy," he continued conversationally. "And Dad always said that Draco was all talk, no action. The Potters, Weasleys and Malfoys will probably always be at war. Fact of life."

Hope caught her reflection in the mirror, observing her long red hair and her grandmother's bright green eyes- she was both a Weasley and a Potter; a born enemy of the Malfoy family, and this was why he had had looked at her funny?

Dominic began packing away his quills and ink with a smile. "You worry more than my mum."

Hope rolled her eyes and tossed a clean roll of socks at her cousin's head. "If I still agree to be your friend at Hogwarts, you had better watch these comments, Dom."

He stood up in mock-horror. "That wasn't even that bad, and what does that mean?"

"Well, you're the son of Hermione Granger- everyone will expect you to earn the top grades and camp out in the library. I'm a Potter... while you're in the library, I've got to be saving the world and stuff. You're a nerd and I'm the noble warrior."

Dominic doubled over in laughter. "Warrior, huh? Good one, Miss Potter. Hope Potter: this generation's Hogwarts heroine?"

Hope shrugged and took out her new wand, pointing it at her cousin teasingly as she jumped off the bed. "Watch yourself, book worm."

Dominic tossed the sock roll back at her. "I thought we could be friends up until we got to school?"

Hope pretended to think for a long moment before she put her wand away and sat back down on his bed. "Alright, I guess so." Dominic snatched the sock roll up and tossed it in his trunk before she could whip at him again.

"I doubt you'll be so cocky if I am like my mum. When I know every single spell and you're struggling, don't come crying to me."

Hope grinned. "I won't. Cousins can't be such good friends at school, remember? It's just not cool. I'll deal with it on my own, I guess. Or I'll owl Aunt Hermione."

Dominic chuckled. "I'll tell her to expect several owls from you." He turned to the giant stack of textbooks on his desk and sighed. "Are you going to help me pack or just watch?"

Hope made a face. "I've got my own trunk to pack."

Dominic sighed, a little put out; he hated packing. He lifted two of his books to pack them neatly in the trunk. "I can't wait until I can use magic to do this..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Departure**

The morning of September the 1st was filled with excitement and tension. Harry and Ginny worked together to prepare a big going-away breakfast for Hope, and to have everything ready to go. Harry sent Ben to wake his sister up so they could have one last family meal. Ben was already dragging his feet and sniffling at the idea of life without Hope around. Harry dreaded what he'd be like to bring home after dropping Hope off today.

Ginny flitted around the kitchen with glassy eyes and in an obvious cheery facade. Harry didn't want to admit it but he was dreading walking past Hope's empty room. Ginny had cried in his arms last night, unable to believe that their daughter was off to Hogwarts. Harry had reassured her, but he couldn't believe it either. How was she eleven already?

"It just doesn't seem all that long ago when we were there," Ginny told him as she hurriedly set the table.

"I know," Harry agreed, pressing a kiss to her head. "She's ready for this, though. She needs to fully be part of the wizarding world if she's going to figure out who she is outside of this family."

Ginny looked confused so he explained. "Hope was born into this family, already famous for her surname and for the gossip that she was born to young parents. She knows our history... how you raised her alone until she was almost three. I think the reason that she studies hard at night is because she's afraid of not meeting the expectations she thinks we have for her."

Ginny sighed and nodded. "You're probably right... of course, she would." Another thought occurred to her and she pursued her lips. "And I'll bet you any money that the _Prophet_ will be on that platform."

Harry looked just as put out by the idea. They never seemed to miss the big events when it came to him. Once the paparazzi found them at a family dinner in London, and the meal had been a stressed one. "It's too bad we can't just drop her off at the Hogsmeade platform."

"No, I want her to have the experience getting on that train with Dominic and the rest of the kids. We'll just have to deal with the press like we always do."

Harry smirked and nudged her. "So you'll just threaten them with the Bat Bogey Hex?" Ginny had done this an embarrassing angry burst and it had been all over the magazines.

**Mrs. Potter Threatens Photographer with Hex- Is Rage an Issue in the Potter Home?**

Ben and Hope's appearance in the kitchen got breakfast started as Ginny served up eggs, toast, bacon and orange slices, encouraging both kids to eat up, practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.

Ben paused over his bacon and looked over at his sister. "Hope, will you miss me at Hogwarts?"

Hope's eyes widened slightly and then she looked sad. "Of course, I will, Ben. I'll write to you, don't worry."

"And she'll be home at Christmas before you know it!" Harry reminded him, hoping he sounded cheery, though it dawned on him he wouldn't see his little girl for four months.

"Are you all packed, sweetheart?" Ginny asked, pouring more juice into Ben's sippy cup.

Hope nodded as she chewed. After a long moment, she swallowed and took a sip of her juice. "I just need to get dressed."

"Remember to wear your muggle clothes first," Ginny reminded her. "You can change on the train. We don't need to attract any more attention than necessary today."

Hope eyed her parents. "We're going to attract attention?"

Her parents exchanged a glance but it was Harry who answered. "The press might remember that it's your first day of school," Harry told her calmly. "But maybe we'll be lucky and they'll forget."

"I hope so," Hope grumbled. She hated all the flashing in her face and the pushing and shouting of the reporters who tried to get close to her family. It usually made Ben cry and Hope felt humiliated as passersby would gawk and stare at the Potter clan like they were animals in a zoo.

"When you're finished," Harry said, getting to his feet. "I've got something for you to bring with you to school."

"What is it?" Hope asked curiously.

"Hope gets a present?" Ben asked his parents, mild hurt expressed on his little face.

Ginny patted his arm with a smile. "Yes, and you'll get one too when you get old enough for Hogwarts."

Hope quickly finished up her food and then followed her father into the living room where a bronze cage sat on the coffee table. Sitting on the perch and staring at her with great yellow eyes was an owl. Hope threw her arms around her father in an excited hug with a squeal.

"Thank you!" Hope crowed. She went over to the cage and opened it so the little bird could hop out. "He's so small!"

"_She_ is an elf owl, and she's the second smallest kind of owl. The shop owner said she was a sweet little thing and so I thought she'd be the perfect match for you."

Hope ran her fingers along the smooth brown feathers of the owl's head and smiled as the bird hooted softly. She was a beautiful dark brown colour mixed with many white splashes of feathers.

"Any idea what you'll name her?" Harry asked, smiling as he watched his daughter pet her owl. He was suddenly struck with how grown up she was.

"No, not yet. I'll let you know when I do." She encouraged the bird back in her cage with a smile. "Thank you, Dad!" Harry was startled as his memory flashed back and he was suddenly watching a four-year-old Hope with pig-tails and a toothy smile looking up at her with big green eyes.

"Don't mention it. Now you'd better start getting ready; we'll be leaving before you know it!" Hope, her eleven-year-old self again, nodded brightly and hurried off with her owl cage in hand to go get dressed. When she'd left the room, he lowered himself into his favourite chair, sadness washing over him.

Ginny's lips pressed to his cheek and her arms wrapped around him from behind. Harry kissed her back, staring up at the mantle with pictures of their family mounted on the stone surface.

"They grow up fast," Ginny murmured.

"I've only known her for nine years, Gin," he replied softly. This had really been eating at him for the last weeks, but he hadn't said anything until now. At his words, Ginny slowly released him and moved around to sit on his lap. She took his face in her hands and shook her head.

"You've been a wonderful father regardless, Harry. It wasn't your fault."

Harry didn't reply and Ginny hugged him, a shaky laugh ringing in her breath. "I know. I'll miss her too."

The train whistled loudly as Harry followed Hope and Ginny through the barrier, clutching Ben in his arms. Ben still had his eyes squeezed tightly shut as they stepped onto the bustling platform. Harry laughed and gently shook Ben.

"It's okay to open now, monster."

Ben chanced one eye and then the other, his eyes widening at the large red steam engine before them. Harry set him down and held onto one of his hands. It was only 10:20 and the platform wasn't too crowded yet. Harry had decided to come a little earlier to avoid any possible members of the paparazzi.

Hope was gaping at the engine with excited, wide green eyes, completely awestruck. Ginny smiled, nudging her forward so they could stow away her trunk and owl.

"Harry! Ginny!" Ron and Hermione appeared behind them with Dominic pushing his own trolley. He was already dressed in his Hogwarts robes with his short auburn hair neatly brushed.

"Hello!" Ginny said. "All ready for school, Dom?"

Dominic nodded, looking torn between his nerves and excitement. Hope greeted him excitedly, practically bouncing up and down on the spot. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny smiled down at their children, amazed at how strange it felt to not be getting on the train themselves.

"We should get the kids a spot on the train together," Hermione said, sounding business-like once again.

Once Dominic and Hope's trunks and owls were loaded onto the train, the kids came off the train to prepare to say their goodbyes. Ben burst into tears as soon as Ginny pulled Hope into her arms for a long hug. Harry smiled sadly as he bent down to hug Ben and try and comfort his distraught son.

"I d-don't want Hope to g-g-goooo!" He wailed miserably.

Ginny released Hope who was wiping her own eyes with a shaky, excited smile on her face. She turned to her little brother and Harry moved aside so that they could hug. Hope lifted him up and kissed her little brother's cheek.

"Ben, I promise I'll write you and tell you all about Hogwarts! I'll miss you, but you've got to be big and brave and keep Mum and Dad from missing me too much."

Ben paused in his sobs, considering this new role. His bottom lip quivered but he looked thoughtful now. "I'm the big boy of the house n-now?"

Hope nodded. "Yep. So you'll have to be brave, okay?"

Ben threw his arms around his sister. "Okay, Hope, I will. I'll be brave." Harry and Ginny exchanged an amused smile as Hope set Ben down and she moved to hug her father.

Harry hugged her tightly before pulling her back enough to look at her. "We're very proud of you, always remember that, Hope. Work hard, but not too hard, and try to stay out of trouble." He toyed with a wavy strand of hair, glancing at Ginny who was now speaking softly to Ben to keep him calm. "And you've packed the map?" Hope tried not to smile too widely as she nodded at the memory of her father giving her the Mauraders Map. Harry smiled back in response and hugged her once more.

Just as he was letting her go, she worriedly blurted, "Dad, if I don't get Gryffindor try not to be too disappointed."

A little startled, he shook his head. "Hope, wherever you end up... it doesn't matter. You need to be your own person, whether that's a Gryffindor, a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin. Find your own way." Studying her troubled expression, he added, "But I've learned that the Sorting Hat considers what _you _want, too. I never told anybody... but the Hat tried to put me into Slytherin."

Hope stared at him in surprise. "It did?"

Harry nodded as the train gave another loud whistle. "Your mother and I will love you if you decide to start your own house, Hope." Hope smiled and Harry straightened as he noticed three robed wizards approaching, two of whom were holding cameras.

Ron noticed too and he moved to stand defensively in front of Hermione, his son and the Potters. Ginny and Hermione gave their kids final hugs and ushered them onto the train as the pictures started being taken. Hope squinted against the flashes, finally spotting her family. She waved with a smile at them and then disappeared onto the train.

"Mr. Potter! Is your daughter excited to be starting at Hogwarts?"

"What expectations do you have for your daughter?"

"You people need to leave us alone!" Ron retorted in irritation.

"Let's go," Hermione said disdainfully.

With loud cracks, Hope and Dominic watched their families disappear from the platform, leaving the photographers photographing thin air, and an exciting tension as they waited for the train to pull away from the station.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Family Expectations**

As soon as the train lurched forward and began pulling away from platform 9¾, Dominic and Hope anxiously began discussing the sorting ceremony. Dominic, much like Hope, had similar worries about ending up in Gryffindor.

"I'm pretty sure he was joking, but Dad and Uncle Fred said if I don't get Gryffindor, I'll be kicked out of the family." He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it from its neatly brushed state. "Emancipated, was the word that my mum used when she lectured them about telling me that."

Hope gaped and then laughed nervously. "Dom, it was Uncle Fred. Of course, they were kidding. They won't leave you orphan because you ended up in Hufflepuff."

Dominic shrugged, slumping back against his seat. "Well, maybe if I ended up in Slytherin I would."

Hope pulled her knapsack onto the seat beside her and pulled out her wand, suddenly realizing that she could attempt some of the spells she'd been studying now that she was on the train. "Dom, in what universe would you end up in Slytherin?"

Dominic shrugged. "One where I'm made fun of for eternity by my Gryffindor ancestors?"

Hope lifted her eyebrows. "Ha ha... my parents and grandparents were in Gryffindor, too, you know! I'm just as nervous."

"I just _need_ to be in Gryffindor, Hope. It'll ruin my year if I'm not."

Hope tapped her wand against her knee impatiently. "My dad says the hat listens to where you want to go. So when you put it on your worried little head, think about wanting to be in Gryffindor."

Dominic was watching Hope bound her wand against her knee. "Hope, please stop brandishing your wand about before you set something on fire."

She stuck her tongue out at him, indignant. "I wouldn't! I've been reading for weeks!" She locked the window and pointed her wand at it, clearing her throat. She flicked her wand like she'd flicked her pencil at home in bed and said, "Alohamora!"

But the lock stayed shut. Hope frowned, wondering why it hadn't worked.

Dominic stared at the lock. "You haven't learned any magic yet. Don't pressure yourself."

Hope tried again, and then two more times, but the window remained locked. She slumped back in her seat and tossed her wand back in her bag in irritation. "What a waste of time," she said sadly. "I'll probably be the worst in the class."

"Drama queen." Dominic laughed at her. "Don't worry, cousin, we'll be family embarrassments together."

Hope laughed to, in spite of her disappointment in her lack of abilities after all her hard work to prepare. "Wow, thanks, Dom. Sounds good."

"Don't mention... what are cousins for?"

...

As the train eventually came to a stop at the Hogsmeade station, Hope found she was more nervous now than excited. She felt herself tugging anxiously at the sleeves of her new Hogwarts robes and constantly pulling her long hair into a ponytail and then tugging it free from the elastic. Dominic was now too nervous to speak. He just stood behind her as the train stopped and all the students aboard lined up to get off the train.

The cool night air felt good against her face as Hope stepped onto the platform. She'd been on this platform before on many visits to Hogsmeade village with her family, as had Dominic, so they weren't as interested in their surroundings as the many, many other first years.

"Don't even think about it. Now get out of the way." Many eyes turned toward the sound of the irritated voice that rang out into the night.

A girl was pushed roughly out of the doors in car in front of Hope and Dominic's. She stumbled and fell to the ground as two other girls laughed and stepped over her. Hope frowned and moved to help her up as the girls walked off carelessly, snickering and chattering loudly.

"Are you all right?" Hope asked, offering her hand.

The girl looked up at Hope with dark eyes, hesitated, and then took her hand gratefully. Standing, the girl was a bit shorter than Hope with long, golden blonde hair and a pretty face. She was very petite with high cheek bones and long lashes that framed her prominent eyes.

"Thanks..." the girl said gratefully. "I'm Lexy."

"I'm Hope." Dominic was behind her again, curiously on-looking. Hope motioned toward her cousin. "And this is Dominic."

"Pleased to meet you."

A loud, familiar voice broke up the introductions. "First years! First years over here, please!"

Hope smiled up at the familiar face. "Hello Hagrid!"

He smiled back, waving his large hand. "'Ello Hope and Dominic. Doin' well?"

They both nodded back, though Hope was sure her face didn't match her answer. Hagrid grinned and continued to gather up the rest of the first years. Lexy stood shyly beside Hope and Dominic, hiding behind the frame of her long hair. Hope glanced at her sideways, wondering over her shyness until Hagrid told them all to follow him to the boats. Hope forgot her analysis over her excitement for the next part. The boats, Mum said, would be her official first look at the castle.

When they arrived at the water's edge, Lexy, Dominic and Hope all climbed into one of the little wooden boats and waited for the rest of their classmates to settle into one. When they began to glide forward, Hope threw her cousin a bright, excited smile which he returned as they exchanged the same thought- _finally!_

The castle was more beautiful in this moment than the few times she'd seen it growing up. Seeing it from a distance in day light couldn't hold a candle to the way it looked under the moonlight and against the shining waters of the lake. The boats were silent as the first years stared up at their new home, frozen in awe at the magnificent castle.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Hagrid boomed merrily as the boats rowed themselves effortlessly toward the castle.

...

Why did everyone sit in such tense silence for the sorting ceremony, Hope wondered anxiously? Professor Lupin was leading the large group of first years up the center of the Great Hall toward the teacher's table where the famous old leather hat sat on a stool. Hope had glanced at the ceiling, but she felt her nerves making her stare at the sorting hat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! We will now sort you into your houses. When I call your name, you will come up, take a seat on the stool and I will place the hat on your head. Once the hat has made its decision you will sit at the appropriate table." He motioned out at the four long tables that filled the hall. "Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw!"

Lupin smiled kindly down at the first years and then raised the list to start the sorting. Hope tried to breathe as she watched the first couple people be sorted. She hated having to wait so long for her name, though she knew that Dominic had it worse.

The sorting went on for several minutes, which Hope clapped for each person, and watched them run off to their tables. She kept a close eye at the number of available spots at the Gryffindor table, hoping that they wouldn't fill up before Lupin got to the P-section of the names.

"Alexandria Malfoy!"

Lexy softly excused herself as she stepped past Hope to get to the stool. Hope felt her jaw drop and Dominic nudged her on her other side. Hope closed her mouth quickly and exchanged glances with her cousin who was mouthing in horror,

"She's a _Malfoy?_"

The hat hesitated for a few seconds before shouting out "Slytherin!"

Lupin removed the hat and Lexy walked off to the Slytherin table with an expressionless face. Hope wasn't sure how to feel. She had seemed so nice and quiet; the opposite of how Hope had felt about Draco Malfoy. How could a Malfoy be so _nice_? The sorting continued, moving through the names on the long parchment.

"Potter, Hope"

The whispering and the sound of her name made Hope jump as she walked forth on shaking knees toward the stool. Lupin winked at her as she sat up on the stool and exhaled nervously. She felt the hat lowered onto her head and she waited, frozen.

_So nervous, child. So many fears about where I'll put you. But it's all here for me to decide._

_GRYFFINDOR!_

Hope felt so happy she thought she could probably jump for joy. Smiling brightly, she got off the stool and walked proudly over to the Gryffindor table who was screaming her name, among other things of having Potter's kid and people pointing and staring openly.

The sorting continued once again and Hope anxiously saved the seat across from her for Dominic. Her eyes found Lexy at the Slytherin table across the room, but her back was to Hope. Hope wondered if Lexy had wanted to be in Slytherin like she had wanted to be in Gryffindor? Maybe Lexy wanted to please her family just as much as she did?

"Weasley, Dominic!"

The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed out "GRYFFINDOR!"

Dominic practically threw himself into the seat Hope had saved for him, grinning widely. The polite applause quickly settled as Johnathan Windsler was called up to the Sorting Hat. Hope's eyes wandered again over to Lexy at the Slytherin table.

How could someone so nice be part of a family that her entire family and most of the wizarding world came to know as so evil? She remembered how she had been mistreated on train and how Hope had helped her up. Was that the only reason Lexy was being nice? Would she quickly take up to Potter-Malfoy rivalry as soon as the train-incident had been forgotten?

Suddenly the Sorting Ceremony was over and Professor Dumbledore stood up and the room fell into silence. Hope caught the eyes of her other cousins farther down the table and scattered among their friends. Her oldest cousin and Uncle Bill and Aunt Cassie's daughter Nicole, sat with her friends and waved cheerily at her. Connor, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Olivia's son waved and then turned his eyes back to Dumbledore. Alexander, Brooke and William, Uncle Percy and Aunt Penelope's kids all sat in close proximity to each other.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore greeted cheerily, gesturing out to all the students. "I know you must all be hungry, so we shall dig into the delicious start of term feast momentarily. But first, our usual start of term reminders: the Forbidden Forest is just that; forbidden, to all students. Magic is not to be used in the corridors, and finally, remember to study hard and learn lots!"

As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, the tables filled with food and the chatter started among the students. Dominic dug in, piling anything within his reach onto his plate and began to eat hungrily. Hope was amazed at all the food and how delicious it all looked. She decided that no one in her family had been able to do a Hogwarts description justice so far.

"You're Hope Potter?" Hope glanced up at the speaker as she swallowed a gulp of pumpkin juice and found herself looking at a girl with very prominent features. Her raven-coloured and shiny ringlets hung to her shoulders, and black eyes regarded Hope with an intense curiosity. She had a defined jaw, high-cheek bones and soft pink lips.

Hope nodded, shrinking slightly under her eyes. "Yeah, that's me."

The girl stared at her for a long moment, setting down her fork. "You look just like your father," the girl stated conversationally. Dominic rolled his eyes and scoffed at the remark.

"Except for her trademark Weasley hair," he retorted, shovelling potatoes into his mouth. The girl looked distastefully at him and then turned back to Hope.

"I'm Allison," she greeted finally, extending her hand to shake Hope's. They did quickly, and Hope tried not to react at the formality of the girl. Hope was also a little thrown off by her dialect and frowned at her. She spoke softly and carefully, enunciating all of her words.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Hope asked curiously.

Allison smiled mysteriously, her ringlets bobbed slightly as she tilted her hair curiously. "No, my parents are American, and I spent half my life in New York. I moved here with my mother out of necessity."

"Necessity?" Hope noticed students around them were glancing at Allison with a weird curiosity.

Allison stirred a small pile of green beans around her plate. "I was attracting attention in my neighbourhood. We moved _far_ to be safe from that attention." She eyed Hope carefully and then smiled a small smile. "You'd understand, I'm sure. All that attention can drive a person crazy."

Hope considered it. "Not really... my parents keep us away from it as much as possible. My dad's kind of protective when it comes to that kind of thing."

Allison continued to smile. "Of course," was all she said. Allison resumed eating, her eyes on her plate again and Hope knew that the conversation was over. She glanced sideways at her cousin who shrugged and continued to eat. Hope was sure he was thinking the same thing she was, and mildly wished these strange surprises would stop popping up.

First she befriended a Malfoy, and second, she met Allison who seemed naturally a soft-spoken outcast. At least she could be satisfied that her first letter home to her family would be a good one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Hogwarts **

Ben pushed open the trap door to the tree house and frowned sadly at how empty it seemed without his sister. Ben liked it when Hope squished herself up there and ate cookies with him; he'd have to sneak cookies by himself now. Sometimes he couldn't reach the jar, though, and Hope had always gotten it for them. He'd have to work out this problem too.

His Uncle Charlie had put up the tree house a year ago and it was Ben's favourite spot. He took a seat on one of the cushions at the small table in the center of the little house and set his three stolen cookies beside his colouring notebook.

He glanced out the small peek hole at his father on the patio, reading his newspaper and then sat back down again to colour. He began scribbling out a picture, losing himself in the drawing as he bit down onto a cookie. His hands moved over the paper, gliding over the paper with more force. Ben clutched at the marker as the vaguely familiar feeling swept over him, pulling him into a trance.

His eyes became glazed over and he felt like he was watching himself colour. His breathing became slowed and he gripped the marker harder, raking it across the paper as his green eyes stared wide at the markings. The paper vanished, and so did the tree house. Ben found his vision blurred for a moment, before it re-focused on a man and a woman.

There was a tall red-head and a man, both with their backs to Ben. The man was sitting in a chair and clutching at the arm rests. He was angry with her, and she was pacing in front of a book shelf.

"I don't think you've thought out this plan," the man told her grudgingly.

"It's been done. I've got the information... she'll have _special talents_ very soon. Talents that may not be of consequence to us, but nonetheless, I want my revenge. As I know that you do," she turned to smile evilly at the man. Ben didn't like her smile at all.

The man glowered at her. "You'd be better off with a direct approach."

"No. I want to hurt them all. _All of them_. I'm sick and tired of feeling useless. He's killed so many of our friends..." She started walking again. "And I had to put up with the Dark Lord's charade for too long, all to have it wasted away."

"Do what you will, but don't mess it up. They haven't been your friends as long."

Ben felt the sharp pull backwards as he tumbled dizzily backwards off his cushion, now back in his tree house. He shook his head, blinking the tears from his eyes, confused and a little scared. As he sat in the tree house, listening to the birds and staring at his half-eaten cookie, he began to feel better. He hated it when he had nightmares.

He stared at his drawing irritably and ripped it decisively. It didn't even _look_ like a dragon! He'd have to start again...

On the first day of classes, Hope was eager to head down to the Great Hall. Luckily, she didn't wake her dorm mates as she got up early, dressed and left the dormitory. To her surprise, the strange girl Allison was in her dormitory and occupied the bed that was diagonal to Hope. She also got the feeling that the other three girls in the room thought Allison to be a little off as well.

Hope arrived in the Great Hall and took a seat the Gryffindor table. She'd only started to butter her toast when Lexy suddenly appeared in front of her with a shy smile.

"Hi," she greeted tentatively, pulling her book bag higher up on her shoulder. "Hope, right?" She was wearing her Slytherin house robes now, and her hair tumbled in soft waves over her shoulders with her fringe pulled back with a black hair band.

Hope smiled back, but she hoped that it looked more genuine than it felt. "Yes, Lexy, right? Hi. How'd you sleep?"

Lexy shrugged with a light laugh. "All right... I'm just so nervous for today. Do you mind..." she gestured at the bench and Hope quickly shook her head no.

Lexy set her bag down and ran her fingers through her hair. "I just hope I don't get lost. This castle is huge!"

Hope nodded and nibbled on her toast, hoping the same thing. She swallowed and then decided she _had _to ask. "You're a Malfoy?" Hope felt her cheeks go hot at her question; it sounded more accusatory than anything else.

Lexy looked confused and laughed sceptically. "Yes?"

Hope stared at her, totally bewildered. "Isn't it... I dunno..." she thought for a moment. "Base _treachery_ to be friends with me?"

Lexy stared for a moment and then burst into giggles. "What are you talking about?"

Hope raised her eyebrows. "I just mean... our families... you're in _Slytherin_ and your father is-" Hope knew there was something up the moment she said the word 'father.' Lexy's expression changed to something unreadable.

"I haven't seen my father since I was about four. I don't remember him... I just know his face from the pictures. My mum raised me." Neither girl spoke for a long time before Lexy leaned forward, looking disturbed.

"People don't like me here. They expect me to be... someone else, and by what you just said, I'm guessing they expect me to be like father... and by the way people generally avoid me, I don't think they liked him much" She shook her head, tears shining in her eyes. "It's ridiculous to be expected to be someone I've never even met..."

Guilt flooded Hope. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

Lexy looked at Hope sadly and hastily wiped at her tears. "Everyone else I've met so far is nervous around me or else is mean to me. But Hope I've got _nothing_ to do with the whole Potter-Malfoy rivalry. And it wasn't a concern last night. Why does knowing my last name even matter?"

"It doesn't! It just surprised me! My whole life it's all I've heard my family talk about. And then I met your dad..." she shuddered and waved it aside. "The point is, we're friends!"

Lexy smiled at her, relieved. "Really? We can be friends?"

Hope nodded. "Of course." Suddenly she noticed the heads of houses distributing schedules and Hope gestured at Snape moving toward his table with a stack of schedules in his hand. "We'll talk later. Go get your schedule!"

Lexy got to her feet, pulling her bag to her should. "Oh, good idea. So... I'll see you later?"

Hope smiled at her. "Yes, See you!"

Lexy bounded off happily just as Allison slid into a seat next to Hope, her dark curls framing her face. She watched Lexy go and set her things down silently. Hope wasn't sure what to say and so continued to eat her breakfast. Professor McGonagall arrived shortly to hand out schedules and Hope took it eagerly.

**Transfiguration**

**Charms **

**LUNCH**

**Double Potions**

**History of Magic**

"Looks good," Allison commented lightly, folding her schedule and storing it in her bag.

Hope looked at her, guessing it was okay to talk with her. "I wish we had flying today," Hope replied anxiously. She was truly scared for the difficulty of transfiguration and to face double potions with Professor Snape.

"I don't think I'll like flying." Allison's expression seemed to confirm this. Hope chuckled and finished off her bacon.

Hope looked down at the schedule wistfully. "It's the only thing I know I won't embarrass myself in. I just wish I had it today for a confidence booster."

"You'll be fine. You've got a wand, haven't you? It's all you need, I'm told..."

Before long, it was time for classes and students started exiting the Great Hall to head to their first class of the day. Hope, Dominic, and Allison filed into the Transfiguration class, which they would be having with Hufflepuff house. Hope and Dominic sat together, and Allison sat in the row of seats directly behind them, silently staring up at the front of the room with an unreadable expression on her face.

Dominic dipped his quill into a bottle of ink and scribbled on a piece of parchment:

_What's with her? _

Hope read it quickly and shrugged, taking his quill and scribbling back: _Who cares? She's nice_

Transfiguration was more difficult than Hope had originally expected, and made a mental note to keep up with her studies in this subject. Next was charms with Professor Flitwick and Hope was eager for this class.

Allison, Hope and Dominic sat together in one of the middle rows and watched as Professor Flitwick cleaned up feathers from around the room. When the class finally began, they talked about how to properly wave your wand, and the importance of wrist action to cast a spell. To everyone's disappointment, the first class was mostly about the key points in spell casting, and information on differing charms, spells, jinxes and hexes.

As they packed up, Professor Flitwick called over Allison, which startled Hope. What had she done wrong? Allison had been as quiet as always.

"We'll wait for you outside!" Hope told her as she and Dominic made their way outside the room.

"I think I like Transfiguration," Dominic told her happily, buckling up his bag. "It doesn't seem too bad. I'm not too excited for Double Potions."

Hope rolled her eyes. "That's because we've been brought up to learn that Snape will take away Gryffindor's points if one of us sneezes too loudly." Dominic snickered at the idea.

Allison suddenly appeared and she slung her bag higher up on her arm.

"What was that all about?" Dominic asked curiously.

Allison waved her hand to dismiss it. "It's a long story... just some concerns about learning, that's it."

"With Charms?" Dominic shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much. Are you muggle-born?" He asked casually. Hope threw her cousins a reprimanding look. It sounded so rude just to ask it like that.

Allison smiled slightly. "Raised by one... it was a different upbringing. It doesn't give me the confidence that you two have."

Hope shook her head. "Trust me, growing up in a magical family doesn't give you an edge over anyone. His mum and my Aunt was muggle-born and she was the best in her year."

Allison nodded, her shiny curls bouncing. "Yeah, I guess."

"Lunch-time!" Dominic announced brightly, clapping his hands together. "I'm starved."

Hope laughed and Allison smiled. "Let's go feed the bottomless pit, then."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Misfits**

"Do you think we'll do spells or see some cool magic creature today?" Dominic asked curiously, resting his head in his hands. "I didn't get much sleep and I don't know if I'm awake enough to handle hinkypunks or anything." He yawned, looking bored.

"I doubt we'll get hinkypunks on our first day, Dom," Hope replied as she dropped her bag under the table and pulled out her quill and parchment to take notes.

"Think this will be better than History of Magic?" Allison asked and Lexy laughed darkly.

"Anything is better than listening to that dry lecture of his," she replied, pulling her long hair back into a pony tail.

Suddenly a hush fell over the class as their professor walked in. Everyone turned to see a woman dressed in beautiful silvery robes enter with a stack of textbooks in her arms. She moved swiftly to the front of the room and dropped her burden on the desk with a heavy sigh.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she greeted promptly, her dark eyes scanning the classroom. With a flick of her wand, the door shut with a snap and she smiled. "I'm Professor Annabella Mellot and I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."

Annabella Mellot had shoulder-length auburn hair that framed her face in angled layers. She carried herself proudly and by the way she walked, arrogance dripped off her expensive robes and designer shoes like water.

With a quick mid-air scrawl with her wand, her name appeared on the chalkboard in swirly handwriting and she clapped her hands together energetically. "Some familiar faces among the crowd... Mr. Hawdley... I knew an Aunt of yours a very long time ago..." she scanned the crowd. "Oh, and of course, Miss Allison Fallidge..." her eyes fell on Hope and she gestured to her. "And, Harry Potter's daughter Hope, yes, yes."

Hope and Allison exchanged nervous glances, but Hope was also curious as to how Professor Mellot knew Allison. Before she could really consider it, she was already launching into a discussion of what the course would contain and its expectations. The class went by quickly, nor was it painful or overly boring. Professor Mellot seemed alright, except for her eyes, which everyone seemed to agree on.

"I feel like they pierce through you," Lexy said with a shudder as they walked down the corridor toward the common room. "It's eerie. It's like she's a mind-reader."

"Feels like it," Dominic grumbled. "She gave us a lot of homework too!"

Allison kept glancing behind them and Hope was the first to notice. She looked over her shoulder to see what Allison was looking at, interested. At first, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary until she caught a glimpse of Professor Mellot disappearing back into her classroom.

"What is it?" Dominic asked, noticing Hope and Allison's distraction.

Allison looked at Hope with a frown but Hope shrugged. She thought it was odd that Professor Mellot might have been watching them, but she didn't know that she was for sure. "Nothing... I just thought we were being watched."

Lexy smiled slightly, her face sceptical. and Dominic raised his eyebrows. It was he who spoke up when he grabbed both of their arms and yanked them forward. "Come on... you two are getting paranoid." They continued down the hall and as they passed large windows that overlooked the grounds Lexy sighed.

"Can we go do our homework in the courtyard? I don't feel like heading to Slytherin common room just yet?" Lexy asked, keeping her voice light. "It's still pretty warm out."

The other three agreed and the four friends walked outside and were warmed by the afternoon sun, Professor Mellot forgotten. Dominic wanted to spread out on the grass so they moved to the grounds instead to sit under a tree.

"I love it out here," Hope sighed happily, dropping onto the grass. She looked out onto the lake, admiring the way the light reflected on its surface. After a long moment, she pulled out her parchment, a quill, ink and a textbook to use as a hard surface.

"I should probably write home," Hope mused, more to herself than to the group. Her friends murmured in agreement, already sinking into their own work. With one last look at the beautiful lake, Hope dipped her quill in the ink and started to write.

_Dear Mum, Dad and Ben,_

_Hogwarts is fantastic! I'm having so much fun! It's the second day of classes and everything so far has been either decent or great. Professor Snape isn't the biggest fan of me, but everyone won't be surprised at this. I love Charms, and Transfiguration is very interesting. I think my favourite Professor so far is Flitwick, though with him, I'm always half-concerned he's going to fall off that tower of books he's always on when he teaches. Of course, Professor Lupin, is my favourite overall. When he's 'ill' Hagrid takes over, and it's always a lot of fun._

_I'm in Gryffindor, you'll be happy to know. Dom is with me, but maybe you've already heard from Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione. The girls in my dorm are really nice and I'm good friends with one of them- Allison. She's from the States. She's a little quiet, but she's a good friend. _

_Also, something unexpected happened. I became friends with this girl named Lexy, only to find out during Sorting that she's actually a Malfoy! She's Draco's daughter! She doesn't really remember him, and she's really nice. _

"Ugh, how embarrassing!" The voice burst into giggles after the remark. Dominic, Hope, Allison and Lexy looked up to find two Slytherin first-year girls observing them with smirks.

One girl with short, dark hair pointed at Hope. "Not only is Lexy hanging out with Gryffindors, but she's associating with a Potter... _and_ a Weasley. How embarrassing."

"You should learn to keep better company," interjected the other girl nastily. "You shouldn't have the honour of being in Slytherin house. Your father has already tainted its legacy!"

Lexy jumped to her feet, her eyes flashing angrily with tears shining in them. "Shut up, Taylor. Go away! Who asked you anyway?"

Taylor, the girl with the dark hair, laughed cruelly and loudly. "Wouldn't it be a shame if someone lined your bed with itching powder?"

Lexy gaped at them. "What did I ever do to you?" She demanded.

The girls exchanged looks and Taylor and the other girl drew their wands. "Shall we teach you a little lesson? Nasty little first-year..."

Lexy froze and then took a startled step back. Taylor smirked as she raised her wand, a jinx on her lips when suddenly, Allison was on her feet and in front of Lexy.

"NO!" She shouted, just as a yellow light burst forth from Taylor's wand but reflected itself off a shiny transparent and ghostly purple force-field. It formed a protective arc in front of them, saving them from Taylor's jinx.

Allison's curls trembled in a sudden breeze as the shield raced forward with a violent jerk of Allison's hands, sending both girls to fall a few feet away. They scrambled up in shrieks of indignation and they hurried away without a backward glance.

Hope, Lexy and Hope stared up at Allison in shock. Allison watched the bullies run before her hands fell limply to her sides and she slowly turned back to her friends, her face unreadable. When no one spoke, Allison sighed and lowered herself to the ground, her eyes on the grass.

"I guess I should explain," she said in a low voice, her eyes focused on a tuft of grass in front of her. "There's something you don't know about me... I..." she hesitated. "I can do wandless magic."

"How is that possible?" Lexy asked softly. "I thought everyone needed a wand?"

Allison shook her head. "Not me." She glanced down at her hands in embarrassment. "It's rare for me to control my magic this way. I genetically inherited the ability to do it, or so my mum says. Using a wand slows me down."

"Can you do more powerful magic than us than?" Dominic asked, amazed. "I've never seen a shield like the one you made."

Allison half-smiled and shrugged. "Maybe one day, if I keep it up. I still need to learn the spells, and some things will be easier with a wand... like Transfiguration." She paused. "I'm good at things like shields and fire."

They all sat in silence for a long moment. She sighed, glancing around at her friends shyly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you... it's strange for me... to have friends. Growing up was difficult... my mum and I moved around a lot, and until I came here, I've never had other friends who could do magic."

"Is that why Flitwick wanted to talk to you after class?" Hope asked curiously.

Allison nodded quickly. "I'm having extra lessons once a week from a Professor from Australia who will come to Hogwarts to help me. The rest of my classes, I'll use my wand for the most part." Her cheeks were flushed with an embarrassed pink.

"My parents can both make little balls of fire, and summon stuff without a wand," Hope added, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "So, if you're worried it makes you a freak or something, it doesn't. You can just do _more_ things without a wand than the average wizard."

"All wizards can do some wandless magic. That's why before we all came here, we could do random things by accident," said Dominic. "That's cool, what you can do. Makes you unique... _and _officially makes you belong in our little group of misfits here."

Lexy rolled her eyes and Hope shoved her cousin playfully. "Misfits?" Hope demanded, raising an eyebrow.

Dominic laughed. "Well sure... a rare witch who can do wandless magic, a super nice Malfoy, the daughter of _The Famous Harry Potter_, and me."

Lexy chuckled darkly. "What's your curse then?"

"I'm a brown-haired Weasley... I've been a misfit my whole life."

They all laughed at that, and Hope playfully punched Dominic in the arm. "What a freak."

...

Up in her office, Professor Mellot stood in the window with her arms folded behind her back. She watched the group of kids under the tree for several minutes before moving to her desk. She waved her wand and muttered the spell to reverse her super-sensory charm, having heard enough of their conversation to have picked up some interesting tidbits.

So the rumours about Allison were true. She was a wandless witch; very rare. She doubted she could make use of her. The most interesting thing she had noted was how close Lexy Malfoy and Hope Potter were. She was sure there would be people who would be _very_ interested to know this.

She sat down and glanced at the mirror that she had nailed to her office door. Dominic may wish for red hair, but personally, she hated hers. It was more brown than his, she supposed, but still, she missed her dark brown locks and regretted changing the colour from her natural hair colour.

Her eyes fell onto the golden engraved name plate on her desk and picked it up curiously.

_Annabella Mellot_. Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. She certainly hadn't seen this coming.

An owl fluttered to the window and tapped the glass. She immediately got to her feet to let it in. It stretched out its leg impatiently and she untied the letter attached. It ruffled its feathers and immediately took off again. Annabella shut the window and slid the lock back into place before returning to her desk to read the letter.

She recognized the hand-writing right away. There was no mistaking the sender.

_We need to discuss. Owl me with an appropriate time and location._

She crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash can, muttering in disgust. He was so impatient and domineering. He wasn't in charge, nor would he ever be. He had no right to give her orders, especially now that she had some legitimate leverage and authority as a Professor.

Her stomach rumbled impatiently and she decided that she would reply to his message after she'd had a good meal.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Harry held Hope's letter in his hand as he gazed at the far wall of his office, deep in thought. He was happy to hear from her, and ecstatic that she loved Hogwarts, was sorted into Gryffindor and was settling in easily enough. He was interested in the fact that one of her best friends was a Malfoy and the other a rare-form of witch. He would never discuss with Hope his concerns, of course. He trusted his daughter to be a good judge of character, but he did not trust her family.

If this Lexy Malfoy had never spoken with her father, he doubted that Draco would ever find out that a daughter of his was associating with a Potter. However, if he did ever catch wind, Harry wouldn't put it past him to get involved. If this happened, he worried what he would do to protect his daughter if Draco Malfoy ever tried to lay a hand on her. It was no secret that the guy was a raving lunatic these days, locked up in his family manor and shoulder-deep in obsessions of the Death Eaters rising to power once more.

The wandless witch was even more interesting, as Hermione had told Harry that there couldn't be more than 100 people with this capability left in the wizarding world. She'd also shown him information on their powers, as people who didn't use wands often had a hard time controlling the powers they used, and in history, it was often their powers that led to their death. A powerful spell could drain their energy, and in theory, it could be fatal.

Still, Hope was happy, and enjoying herself, and that was all that mattered. He set the letter on his desk and went back to the massive pile of fan mail he'd been ignoring for weeks. He hated the sheer amount of it, but Oliver insisted that he had to return some of it. He took out a quill and began scribbling his name onto pictures of himself grudgingly. Doing this reminded him of Lockhart, though Harry had no interest in the people who practically threw themselves at him because he knew it was for his past they obsessed over him, and not his talent.

As he signed his name across another photo grudgingly, the door opened and he glanced up.

"Here you are," Ginny said, startling him. "Autographs?" She smiled at him, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Harry rolled his eyes as she slid her arms around him from behind and asked, "Want to sign a few for me?"

Ginny made a face at him and moved around the desk to look at the picture he was signing. It was an action shot of him chasing the Snitch from a game earlier in the season.

"I haven't seen these yet... How about you sign one for me?" Ginny asked teasingly.

Harry winked at her playfully. "I'll sign this one with love then."

Her expression turned to one of mock horror. "And how many other pretty girls are getting love from Harry Potter?"

"Not that many... my wife would kill me," Harry said seriously, earning him a swat at his head from the dish towel Ginny held.

"You bet I would." She leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips. "It's hard enough to know that there are millions of witches out there who swoon over you."

Harry kissed her again and shook his head, the autograph pile lay forgotten. "You are everything I could ever ask for. All the other girls can swoon all they like." Ginny smiled against his mouth and kissed him back passionately.

After a long moment, Harry pulled back and Ginny settled herself on his desk, watching as he reluctantly signed another.

"Ben's fast asleep," Ginny told him, sitting on his desk. "He was restless for over an hour. Thanks for your help, by the way."

Harry looked up at her apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't realize the time." He eyed the dish towel sceptically. "And you know, we've got House Elves, I've got no idea why you insist on doing those dishes by hand."

Ginny shrugged. "I like doing the dishes... it's calming."

Ginny worked as a photographer for _M-Style_ magazine, which mainly contained photos and information on styles of magical homes, how to decorate, how to update your house, and many other at home remedies for the design and upkeep of a stylish magical home.

Harry glanced at his watch with surprise. "It _is_ late," he remarked in a startled tone. "Sorry, Gin. I don't mean to leave you to do everything. I haven't been home either." She touched his face lightly, stroking his cheek.

"It's training time, I understand, Harry." Harry worried that there was an undertone of reluctance to her voice. She sounded a little frustrated and maybe even impatient. He loved her for her understanding, but he knew he was pushing it a lot of the time, and he never meant to.

"I'm exhausted." She kissed his cheek and stood up. Are you coming to bed soon?"

Harry nodded and stood. "I'll do these tomorrow." _Wood can lecture me about it all he wants_...

Half an hour later, they were settled into bed with the lights off. The digital clock on Harry's night table read _12:54. _Sub-consciously, he slid closer to his wife and slid an arm around her, holding her close to him as he yawned and drifted into a deeper sleep.

...

His heart slammed into his ribs and he sharply gasped in a breath as he sat up quickly. Ben stared blearily around the room, feeling afraid but not remembering why. He shoved the covers back and scampered to his closet, forgetting about the monsters that usually lived there. He had just closed the closet door when his bedroom door creaked open and somebody came in. They were wearing a black cloak with the hood up and Ben stared out in horror.

_A bad guy_.

Ben sat frozen on his closet floor, holding his knees. He held his breath, knowing his Daddy would tell him to be brave and not cry. If he was quiet, maybe the bad man wouldn't find him.

The man was looking at the bed, and he swore quietly. He checked under it, looking around wildly. His eyes landed on the closet and even in the darkness, Ben could see him smile in a very scary way. He started walking to the closet when he tripped over the box of toys. Plastic cars and a giant fire truck tumbled to the floor from the bin, and the fire truck lit up bright red and it started blaring its fire truck noises.

The man stopped, glancing back at the door, no longer smiling. Ben could hear someone coming to help him now and he shut his eyes tight, wishing he was still asleep. He could hear his Mummy crying, and his Daddy shouting now. There was a loud crack, and then there was nothing but the honking and siren of his fire truck.

...

Harry wasn't sure how long he was sleeping before he heard the crash and the sound of a siren. He and Ginny both sat up in bed, startled, but Ginny was at the door first, wrenching it open and charging toward the kids' bedrooms. Harry bolted after her, wand in hand, just in time to hear the crack of someone disapparating and the sounds of Ben's toy fire truck.

Ginny was jiggling at her son's door handle frantically. "BEN!" She screamed, pounding on the door with both fists. "DAMN IT! HARRY! OPEN IT" She whirled around, tears shining in her eyes. Hope raced into the hall, her long red hair tangled. She held herself, eyes wide and looking terrified.

"ALOHAMORA!" The door's lock clicked open and Ginny and Harry stumbled into Ben's room, looking around wildly for their son.

"BEN?" Ginny screamed again, running to the empty bed with the sheets tossed wildly aside. "BEN?"

Harry's eyes raked the room and then he went to the closet, the only other hiding spot besides under the bed. Ben's little form slumped to the floor as soon as he opened the closet door. Harry fell to the floor, letting out a cry of relief. Ginny sobbed and ran to Harry and Ben. Hope moved into her brother's room tentatively, still looking shocked and scared.

"What _happened_?" Ginny cried, touching his face. "Ben? Benjamin, sweetheart, wake up!"

Ben's eyelids fluttered, and he began to shake. Harry looked at Ginny. "Grab your wand, and get dressed. We're going to St. Mungo's."

Ginny ran off and Harry stood, lifting his son and cradling him. He reached into the closet and snatched a sweater, gently tugging it over his head and sliding his little arms through its sleeves. Ginny was back and she clutched Hope's hand. Harry nodded at her, as they both disapparated to St. Mungo's.

...

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" A healer called from the waiting room. All the Potters jumped up with relief and the healer smiled at them in reassurance and beckoned them to follow him.

"Benjamin is fine. He's sustained no injuries... it seems he went into shock. His body remained unconscious to keep his mind protected." They entered a hallway and began the long walk down it.

"We gave him a small amount of Veritaserum, which is helpful with children who've suffered traumatic incidents such as this, to find out the cause of all of this." He hesitated. "And it seems someone was in his room, and wanted to kidnap him."

Ginny went rigid in Harry's arms and tears welled in her eyes. Harry felt sick to his stomach and angry. Who would want to hurt a little boy? Hope sniffled miserably at Harry's side.

"He's awake," the healer told them gently. "We've already contacted the Ministry... someone will be at your house in the morning to speak with you and Benjamin."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

The healer opened the door to Ben's room and shut it behind Harry and Ginny. Ben was lying on the only bed in the room, his eyes wide. Ginny rushed over to him and sat on the bed next to him. She touched his face and smiled at him, her voice oddly high-pitched.

"How do you feel, Ben?"

"I'm okay, Mummy," he whispered, curling into Ginny. Harry sat on Ben's other side and gently rubbed his back.

"Ben, were you hiding in the closet?" Harry asked softly. Ben nodded, looking frightened again. "How did you have time to hide? Did you hear someone in the house?"

Ben shook his head. "I dreamed it. I knew they were coming for me, Daddy." He finally raised his eyes up to his fathers' and tears welled up, threatening to spill.

"You're a really good hider, Ben. That's why you always win at hide-and-seek." This was the first thing Hope had said since arriving at St. Mungo's. Ben managed a little smile and thanked his sister.

Harry rested his hand on Ben's quivering shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "You're safe now, Ben. That man won't come back, okay?" Ben nodded and buried his face into Ginny's shirt again, clearly exhausted and still terrified.

A healer came into the room to check on Ben. After doing a quick check of his vitals, he handed Ginny a vial of sleeping potion, telling them to take Ben home so he could get a good night's sleep. They encouraged Ben to drink the potion, and he was asleep by the time they reached the disapparation point.

When Ben and Hope were tucked into their beds, Harry and Ginny had together set up a series of protective charms, including preventing apparitions, intruder-alert charms and disabling their Floo Network for the rest of the night. After double-checking on Ben and Hope, they returned to their bedroom exhausted, but too worked up to really be able to sleep.

As soon as the door was shut, Ginny threw herself into Harry's arms. Harry held her as she cried, unsure of how he could comfort her when he felt the same agonizing feelings of guilt of not getting there faster to catch the sick person who would try to hurt their son.

"I don't understand," Ginny murmured as she pulled back and went to sit on the bed. "I don't understand what happened here tonight."

"Ben said he dreamed it... do you think he saw him and ran to the closet?" Harry pondered. "He must have been half-asleep when it happened."

Ginny looked at him with a tortured expression. "No, there's no way. The man could have snatched him when he ran. Ben _had_ to have already been in the closet."

They sat in silence for a long moment. "So Ben had a dream? He had a premonition that told him to hide in the closet?" Harry gave a hard, short laugh, scepticism dripping from his voice. "A _prophecy?_"

Ginny wringed her hands anxiously and sighed. "Maybe, I don't know!" She ran her hands through her hair and flopped back onto the mattress. "Ben is a little introverted. He draws a lot and his imagination runs wild... maybe this isn't the first time?"

"He's not like Trelawny," argued Harry.

Ginny shrugged, tired of the conversation. "Well, Harry, somehow he knew to be in that closet and save himself from being kidnapped." She picked up her pajama pants that'd she tossed on the floor and changed into them and out of her jeans. "Maybe... maybe we could have him tested? See someone? Who could we go to?"

"Yeah... we'll go to the same person we took Hope," Harry answered reluctantly. "I really hope it's not the case... but Isabella Coy still works in the Ministry. We'll take him there." He began changing back into his bed clothes and turned out the lights.

Ginny got under the covers, her face in a tight line. Harry lay beside her and set his glasses on the table. Ginny told him goodnight and rolled over. Harry stared at her back, knowing he wouldn't sleep very much at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Dark Rumours**

A cool breeze rustled the orange and red leaves of the trees that lined the walkway of the muggle neighbourhood. It had taken Harry about an hour to find someone at the Ministry who knew where Isabella Coy had moved to, since she had retired from her formal work with the Ministry and the Department of Mysteries. The strange thing was that either people had no idea who she was, or didn't know why she'd just up and retired at such a young age.

"This is it," Ginny said, pointing at the iron plate on the picket fence that matched the address scribbled on a scrap piece of parchment.

They were looking at a small cottage set far back from the road and surrounded by vast gardens and trees. The grass was unkempt and the garden, while it was filled with flowers, was also lined with weeds. Harry opened the gate which creaked loudly and he, Ginny and Ben started the walk up the uneven path to Isabella's house.

"Is this the doctor's house, Mummy?" Ben asked curiously.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, her name is Isabella. She's really nice. I'm sure you'll like her."

The pale yellow curtain blocking the large window on the front of the house swayed as if someone had been watching their approach. Harry wasn't sure how many people still came to visit her anymore, since she had left the Ministry. He knew her services weren't widely popular, but she was the best at the supernatural and divine questions or problems.

They stepped onto the wooden porch and the front door opened swiftly before Harry could knock. Isabella stood before them, her large blue eyes flicking almost suspiciously between Harry and Ginny. Harry noted she clutched her wand rigidly so that her knuckles shone white. What had happened to her?

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter," she said softly, one hand firmly on front door as if to slam it shut suddenly. "I wasn't expecting you."

Ginny glanced at Harry, who continued to smile in a friendly way. "Sorry, but we had a small emergency last night. We were hoping that you could help us? For old times' sake?"

Isabella hesitated for a long moment before her eyes landed on Ben who stood at his mother's side, oblivious to the tension between the adults. Her long straggly locks fell over her shoulders, reaching her hips. She wore large silver hoop earrings and a necklace with a bulky ruby hanging from the end. Her robes were a soft green colour and her skirt billowed out from her waist in an old-fashioned style.

"Alright," she agreed, and a little reluctantly. She stepped aside and swiftly ushered them in. As soon as they were in, she re-locked the door with a flick of her wand and patted it, satisfied that the outside world was once again shut in.

The lights inside had been dimmed, and Isabella led them to the sitting room, which was dimly lit by the rays of sunlight that managed to peak through the yellow crocheted curtains. The room was painted off-white and seemed to scream of someone's grandmother's house. An odd sculpture of a lion stood in the far corner and there were abstract pieces of art placed around the small room.

"Your home is lovely," Ginny commented politely. "When did you move out here?"

Isabella was pouring tea out of a black tea-pot. She didn't glance up as she set milk and sugar on the table. "Not soon enough. I enjoy the quiet," she replied easily as she slid cups to Harry and Ginny. Her eyes moved to Ben who sat on Ginny's lap, curiously staring at the lion.

"Do you still work much?" Harry asked, earning him a strange look from Isabella as she settled onto the opposite couch with her cup of tea.

"I do what I can, but like I said... I was looking for quiet. When the Dark Lord was defeated, things were quiet... but a few months back it started getting _murky_ again." Her face scrunched up irritably.

"Murky?" Harry questioned curiously.

Isabella sipped at her tea, her eyes on her long skirt. "My head was clouded." She looked at Ben again, a strange expression clouding her soft features. "So is his," she remarked, sounding curious for the first time.

"That's why we've come," Ginny explained slowly. "Someone broke into our house, and went to Ben's room. He dreamt it... hid in his closet. He draws his dreams out too, but up until last night we thought it was just an over-active imagination."

Isabella smiled slightly, breaking the tension at last. "Not him. It's interesting that he has this ability." She paused as she set her cup down on the coffee table. "You've certainly got talented children, Harry Potter."

She stood and went to a small cabinet at the far end of the room and dug through it for a while. She returned with a small screen, smiliar to the one that Harry and Ginny had seen her use nine years before when they had brought Hope to her. She dusted it on her skirts and sat it on Ben's lap gently.

"W-what is it?" Ben asked in a small voice, staring at the little screen.

"A diviner's glass," Isabella told him, tapping it's smooth plastic frame. "I use it sometimes to see what I want. It's better than a crystal ball... more accurate. I invented it." Ben stared at it, clueless as to what he was supposed to do with it. "It'll help you remember what you see when you wake up after your dreams."

Ben continued to stare at the little screen, confused about what it was for.

"Dark things are happening," Isabella continued, this time to Harry and Ginny. "Your son has a special gift... he may offer the odd prophecy when he's much older and practiced. But his aura seems to suggest his premonitions will give him short warnings." Her eyes bore into his with a strange intensity. She sat down and bent lower to Ben's eye level.

"In your dreams, do you watch people do things?" She asked Ben, her eyes narrowing noticeably, the pupils contracting. Ben stared back with a blank expression. Harry and Ginny watched, both of them still on the couch.

"Yes." Ben's voice was dull, almost bored-sounding.

"Do you dream while you're awake?"

"Yes."

"Do you see your sister?"

"No."

"Do you see the Death Eaters?"

"He doesn't know anything about that!" Ginny spluttered, unnerved. Ben slumped against Ginny, looking confused. "Harry and I keep everything from them. They don't need to know about the war or who the Death Eaters are." She was staring at Isabella with wild eyes, hugging Ben closer to her. "What just happened?"

Isabella pursed her lips. "Another talent of mine. I don't need Veritaserum. I compelled him to tell me the truth. An easy trick I've picked up and completely harmless."

"A little intrusive for a four-year-old," Harry added sharply. "The Ministry wouldn't condone such a practice. Only St. Mungo's can administer without cause."

Isabella's eyes flashed. "I've moved away from all of this war-talk and death threats. You sought me out for help, and here's my advice: keep him safe; he's too young to learn how to keep people out of his mind. If he sees anything of worth, he'll become a pawn in the fight to come."

Harry folded his arms, his face suspicious. "You know this and you haven't gone to the Ministry?"

Isabella made a noise of disgust and she got to her feet, beginning to pace the room. "This is exactly why I left!" She raged, glaring at Harry. "I tell them that there's whisperings of an uprising and I get shuffled out the door like a madwoman!"

She let out a long breath and cleared her throat, turning around in a whirl of skirt. "You had better go."

Ginny collected Ben up into her arms and walked to the front door without hesitation. Harry paused in the doorway of the living room.

"I am sorry I upset you. You know I trust your word... that's why I came here first."

She regarded him for a moment then bowed her head, accepting his apology. "If you trust me, you'll turn around and leave, Potter," Isabella told him softly, her wand out now. "I've got to put up my protective wards."

Harry nodded, said his thanks and left with Ginny and his son.

...

Draco glared at Drew, unable to believe his ears.

"You're _certain_?"

Drew scoffed. "Yes, I'm certain, you fool! She's in my class! Your daughter! Alexandria... she's got your hair colour, your eyes... a bastard child running around with your surname and you didn't have a bloody clue!"

"I knew she existed," Draco retorted bitterly. "I did not expect she'd humiliate me in this sort of way. Clearly I'll have to have words with the girl."

Drew stopped her pacing suddenly. "No, I think this will actually work out in our advantage. You could _use her_."

Draco eyed her suspiciously. "Use her how?"

Drew seemed excited by the idea. "As a spy. Gain us leverage..."

"Leverage? I thought you had our plans all figured out! Why do we suddenly need leverage?"

"Don't go soft on me, Draco," Drew told him silkily. "We won't hurt the girl." Even as she said it, she knew Draco didn't believe it. He was looking at her with a wild, unreadable expression now.

"She's a child and she's loyal to a Potter, this will _not_ work to our advantage. The others won't support you."

Drew cleared her throat and moved to her desk to collect a thin stack of papers. She handed them to Draco. "Here. Take this... and once everyone has been contacted and confirmed, let me know." Draco snatched them out of her hand and scanned the long list of names.

"And if they disagree with you?" Draco asked lightly, striding toward the door. He glanced back to find Drew sitting at her desk, glancing up from a box of essays she had to mark. She smiled darkly and her eyes gleamed oddly in the light.

"I assure you, _every single_ one of them will see reason, Draco."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Hope's Scar**

As the months went by, Hope, Lexy, Allison and Dominic found their homework load getting heavier and their amount of free time less and less. They were kept busy studying and completing assignments, often staying up late to visit with each other after a long day of classes and working away at their homework.

Hope also found that she and Allison had grown much closer since having learned her secret. Because she and Allison shared a dormitory, they spent the most time together. Hope was fascinated by Allison's brand of magic, though she was curious about a lot of rare magic, more so than anyone else she knew. When Hope had confided to Allison her story and the scar on her arm which would appear pending danger to her father or strong emotions he was feeling at the time, Allison had suggested maybe she was curious about rare magic since it had such a strong impact on her own life. This made sense to Hope, who still had no control over the connection with her father. Her parents had told her that a specialist had once explained to them that this was something she could control with practice.

Today was Saturday, and it was ten minutes into dinner when Allison noticed that Lexy was missing. Usually, Lexy ate them at the Gryffindor table, but she didn't seem to be in the Great Hall at all.

"Do you think she fell asleep?" Dominic asked, bemused. "She did say she was going to work on our history essay."

With dinner over, and still no sign of Lexy, they decided to remain in the Great Hall to study together, in case Lexy showed up. They pulled out their books, and had been working for a little over an hour when they all heard an argument in the Entrance Hall. It was Dominic who saw the streak of long blonde hair pass the doors of the Great Hall and the faint sound of someone crying.

"Lexy!" He called out, startling Allison and Hope. The three quickly threw their things haphazardly into their bags and chased after Lexy. They found her slumped against a wall outside the Great Hall, her head on her knees and her body shaking with sobs.

"Lexy!" Hope exclaimed worriedly.

"What's happened?" Allison asked gently, bending down to kneel beside her on the floor.

Lexy lifted her face and hastily wiped at her tears. "I- I met my father." Her friends stood stock-still with shock at this announcement. It was Dominic who spoke first, his voice quiet but determined.

"Lexy, you're nothing like him. With all the stories I've grown up about the Malfoys, with you it all means nothing. You can talk to us..."

Lexy stared at Dominic in shock, tears still falling down her face. She sniffled and then nodded, taking a deep breath. "Can we go somewhere else to talk?" She asked shakily, watching a pair of Hufflepuff girls who were staring at her curiously.

"Let's go find an empty classroom," Allison suggested, reaching out a hand to help her up. "Then you can tell us what happened."

Five minutes later, they were sitting on top of desks in an empty classroom on the second floor. Lexy launched into her story of how Professor Snape had found her in the common room and escorted her to his office on Draco's request. He had introduced them and Draco had announced he would take her back to his house for lunch and return her later in the day.

Lexy wasn't sure if she wanted to go, considering all the terrible things that people said about him, but she had wanted to know her father. She had always wanted that. At his house, he had acted friendly, but in a way that seemed fake.

"He was more interested in who I was hanging out with," Lexy bit out, her eyes moving to Hope. "He was upset that I was friends with you. He lectured me for a bit, but then gave up after a few minutes and told me that since I'd started, I couldn't very well stop." Lexy shook her head in confusion. "He said I signed my fate." She made a noise of aggravation and continued on her rant.

"Then he asked me about school, about my marks, about my mother, my childhood... but he didn't really care for anything else. Just that I was friends with _you_, and that it really bugged him."

"What did he do with you for all that time?" Allison asked worriedly. "You guys just talked from breakfast until now?"

Lexy frowned at her. "It's not that late."

The three friends glanced at each other. It was Hope who voiced what they all were thinking. "Lexy, it's after dinner. You were there all day..."

Lexy shrugged wearily. "I guess I lost track of time. It was a terrible day."

"What did he do to make you cry?" Dominic persisted, his voice hard.

"I told you," Lexy replied irritably.

"You were upset with all the questions?" Dominic asked slowly. "Seems a bit of an overreaction..."

Hope shot him a dark look. "Leave her alone, Dom. She's never met her father... it was very stressful."

Lexy nodded, a little dazed. "Yeah... that was it."

...

When Hope got back to her dorm, she found a letter on her bed and Hedwig perched on the windowsill. She clicked her beak and Hope moved over to her, happy to see the beautiful bird. She stroked her feathers before going to her trunk where she kept a bag of owl treats and fed a few treats to Hedwig before opening the letter.

_Dear Hope,_

_We're so excited that we'll be seeing you in a few weeks! Five weeks and it'll be Christmas! Ben is doing well, but we've recently learned that your little brother is fairly intuitive. He's been assessed by a professional and an old friend of your father's and apparently he's able to see certain events of the future. It must sound strange to read this in a letter, but I figured you'd be upset that we waited until Christmas to tell you. _

_I hope your studies are going well. Looks like Charms is your strongest subject! We're very proud of you, Hope! Your father wants me to add that he's especially proud of how you've been showing all the other first years how to fly. Should I tell your father that you got your flying skills from me, not him? It'd be really funny if I did. _

_I wanted to know if you were interested in having your friends over during the holidays? We'd love to meet your new friends, and I'm sure you'd love to spend some time with them during the few weeks that you'll be at home. _

_We miss you terribly here at home. Ben gets lonely without his big sister here! Can't wait to see you, sweetheart! _

_All our love,_

_Mum and Dad_

Hope folded the letter up and slid it in the side of her trunk along with all the others that she'd collected over the term. She picked up her potions books and decided to head to the library before it closed. She needed a little information before she could start Snape's essay. She quickly exchanged her textbooks for the potions one and tugged her bag to her shoulders before hurrying out of the dormitory.

Allison sat curled up in front of the fire, deep in a book and Dominic was nowhere to be seen. Hope left, glancing at her watch to make sure she had enough time before curfew. She did not want to lose Gryffindor any more points than the fifty she'd lost in one Potions class last week just for knocking ink all over the desk.

The library was relatively full of upper year students studiously working away and it took Hope a few minutes to find a spare table to sit at. She quietly pulled out her work things to save her spot and set out among the shelves. She'd only been browsing for a few minutes when she noticed Professor Mellot watching her from a small table at the end of the shelves.

Hope smiled shyly and continued on her search, feeling slightly uncomfortable with being watched by a Professor. She wasn't even in the restricted section!

"Looking for something?" Professor Mellot finally asked sweetly, her robes swishing as she moved toward her.

Resisting the urge to wrinkle her nose at the potent over-use of her perfume, Hope paused from looking through a book she'd selected and snapped it shut. "Yeah, just something for Professor Snape's essay."

"Perhaps I could help?" The Professor asked. "Marking gets very dull after a while."

Hope laughed politely, praying that she would just go. "Now," Professor Mellot said softly. "What kind of book were you looking for?"

Hope described the assignment and what kind of information she was looking for. Professor Mellot nodded thoughtfully and then guided her farther down the row to a small section of books. "These ones may be more helpful."

"Thanks!" Hope said, scanning the titles for anything helpful. Her eyes moved along the upper rows, at last spotting something that might be useful to her. She reached up on her tippy toes and tugged at a promising-looking book.

"Watch it!" Professor Mellot whispered in a warning, grabbing at her arm to stop before several books tumbled heavily from the stack.

It wasn't the dull thud of the book landing on Hope's arm that startled her, it was the searing burning feeling she had when the Professor touched her. Hope gasped and grabbed her arm, wincing in pain. Professor Mellot was staring at her, shocked.

"What is it? Did it land very hard? Here let me see!"

Before Hope could get the words out to tell her not to, she pulled back her sleeve to reveal the lightning-shaped scar on her arm. The Professor's eyes were very wide at the sight of it, and Hope hurriedly yanked her arm from her grip, her face reddening as her sleeve fell back over it.

"How is it possible?" She breathed dazedly.

Hope swallowed hard, her arm still burnt but she ignored the pain. "Some strange magic, I'm not sure," she mumbled lamely. "Thanks for the help, Professor!" She grabbed the book she'd wanted off the floor and hurried away from her. When she reached her table, she tossed everything back in her bag and hurried over to Madame Pince to check out the book. As she thanked the librarian, she could feel a pair of eyes on her as she hurried out of the library and back toward the Common Room.

Hope paused outside of the portrait hole and let her bag slide off her shoulder to the floor as she yanked her sleeve back, staring at the fiery red scar that marred her skin. Nothing like that had ever happened before! Or had it just been coincidence that her scar had hurt at the same time her Professor had touched her?

She let her sleeve wall and picked up her bag and went back into the Common room, deciding that if it hurt her again, she'd write home. She didn't want to worry her family over nothing... and Professor Mellot made her naturally uneasy; it was probably just a bad mood and anxiety that caused her scar to act up.

Just a coincidence, she told herself firmly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Christmas **

Christmas took forever to arrive, but when it finally did, Hope found herself anxious for the train to pull into King's Cross station. She'd missed her family more than she'd expected and the sight of her parents and little brother waiting for her on the platform made her eyes well with tears. Peering out the train window she realized she was relieved to see that they looked the same as they had before she'd left.

She bounded off the train with her owl in its cage and dragging her trunk behind her awkwardly. Ben shouted excitedly when he saw her get off the train and Hope hurried over to her parents, throwing herself into her mother's arms.

"Welcome home!" Harry exclaimed happily, ruffling her hair playfully.

"How are you?" Ginny asked lovingly, kissing her head.

Hope beamed. "I'm good. I'm happy to be home!" She hugged her father next and then Ben. "I've had so much homework lately, I feel like it's all I've done."

"Bye Hope!" Lexy called, standing beside a tall woman with short brown hair and holding Lexy's trunk for her. They walked off as soon as Hope waved goodbye with a happy smile. Her parents eyes followed Lexy and her mother as she walked away.

"Is that Lexy Malfoy?" Her mother asked curiously, watching them go.

Hope nodded, carefully analyzing her tone. Fortunately, she sensed nothing wrong. Allison was a little farther down the platform and hugging her mother and Hope pointed her out. "And that's Allison, my other friend."

"The one who doesn't need a wand?" Harry verified as he picked up Hope's trunk for her, leaving Hope to only carry her owl's cage.

"Why doesn't she need a wand?" Ben piped up curiously.

Hope shrugged at him, amused with his endless questions about anything. "She's special, Ben."

"I'm special!" Ben replied animatedly. "Did Mummy and Daddy tell you what I can do?"

Harry scooped him up in his arms when he spotted some gawkers. "How about we tell Hope everything once we're home, alright?"

One muggle car ride later, Hope had set her trunk upstairs in her room and let her owl out of its cage so it could stretch its wings outside. Ginny was already setting lunch out of on the table and Ben had his special screen from Isabella beside him, ready to show his sister.

"Hope, look what the lady gave me!" Ben said as Hope entered the dining room.

Hope stared confusedly at the little screen. She raised her eyebrows at the object and asked, "What is this?"

"It helps me to remember things after I see them... It keeps them for me. Kind of like a pen-siv"

"Pensieve," Harry corrected gently as he set goblets of pumpkin juice on the table. Hope took hers and drank deeply, feeling parched. Harry chuckled and re-filled her goblet as soon as she was finished.

Ben wasn't to be swayed from his enthusiasm. "Yeah! Daddy says maybe I can know things before they happen! Isn't that cool?"

Hope nodded, impressed. "Very cool, Ben! What else is new with you?" Ben began chatting excitedly about things he'd done recently, including scaring a stray dog when he was riding his toy broom, and finding out that rabbits are faster than they look, even if you run your fastest.

Ginny flicked her wand to move all the dishes out onto the table and followed them in. She took her seat and everyone started to load up their plates in silence.

"So!" Ginny began cheerily. "Tell us about your term!"

Later that day, while Ben was upstairs playing, Hope decided to tell her parents about Professor Mellot and her scar. It had been bothering her ever since, but nothing had ever happened again to trigger the pain again. Harry and Ginny listened, looking concerned, and when Hope had finished, Ginny looked at Harry looking more anxious than before.

"When _your_ scar hurt, it was because..." she broke off, unwillingly remembering how Harry's scar would hurt when Voldemort was plotting and in a foul mood. "You don't think...?" She paled at the possibility.

"No!" Harry replied instantly. "I have no idea why Hope's scar would have hurt... maybe it was just her magic reacting to unwanted touch? I once did that to my Uncle." Her parents continued to look at each other, seeming as if they were communicating telepathically.

It was her mother that responded first, and in a subdued voice. "It's just an odd coincidence that it happened when your Professor touched her arm."

"If it happens again, tell us right away," her father suggested, sounding a little more relaxed now. "But it sounds just like your magic got out of hand at a bad moment."

Satisfied with this answer, Hope got to her feet. She agreed with her father that there was no way that Voldemort was involved, since he was gone for good. "Okay. I'm going to go unpack a little," she told her parents lightly.

She left the room and headed upstairs, pausing in her brother's doorway. Ben was apparently taking a nap now, his room in complete disarray. Hope smiled at his sleeping form until she saw a collection of his drawings scattered on the floor, and several of them seemed to share a theme of a large squiggled sun-like image.

She tiptoed in the room and quietly flicked through the pictures. They all had the pink squiggled drawing in them. Hope felt confused as she set the pictures down and stepped out of the room, making a mental note to herself to ask her brother what the pink-thing was. If her brother really was intuitive, maybe it would be important?

She walked toward her own room, pulling back her sleeve to reveal the scar on her arm. She had this, her brother had some freaky ability to know random things of the future... apparently being the kids of Harry Potter entitled you to some unfortunate abilities.

...

The following week, Hope invited Dominic, Allison and Lexy over for a slumber party in the living room. Dominic arrived first with his parents who wanted to visit with Hope's parents anyway. Allison arrived next by Floo Network, dressed as a muggle in jeans and a purple sweater. Her curls were pushed back with a black hair band with a little bow perched on the side of it. Her dark eyes scanned the room intently, almost as if tasting the atmosphere she were stepping into.

"Mum! Dad! Allison is here!" Hope took Allison's bag from her with a smile and then hugged her friend.

"Missed me already, have you?" Allison mused teasingly.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione entered the room and Allison immediately flushed and looked shyly between the adults, reserved once more. Hope noticed a big difference between the Allison she knew, and the one who met new people. Allison was cautious with new people, like she feared that they would judge her.

"This is Allison," Hope introduced energetically. "This is my Mum and Dad... and my Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron."

"They're my parents," Dominic interjected coolly, flopping comfortably on the sofa.

"It's very nice to meet you," Ginny said kindly, moving to shake Allison's hand. Allison took her hand with stiff movements, her face pink with the attention on her. She shook everyone else's hands politely and silently.

"Are you the wandless witch?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione swatted at his arm for his comment, sensing Allison's feelings.

"Dad," Dominic whined in embarrassment.

"Yes," Allison admitted sheepishly, speaking up at last. "That's me."

"Curious... well you're certainly one of a kind. I'd love to see what you can do when you're older. Wandless witches and wizards have unparalleled abilities!" Hermione told them all with a knowing smile.

The fireplace blazed to life again and Lexy appeared in a swirl of green flames. She stepped forward with her bag, also looking rather shy at the number of people who were staring at her. Hope had considered talking with Lexy about how her family felt about her family, but in the end, opted against it. She knew that her parents were fine with Lexy, and she didn't want to worry her without reason.

"And this is Lexy Malfoy," Hope said, hugging her other friend. Allison stepped to the side, clearly relieved that there was someone else to look at now.

"Hello," Lexy greeted, setting down her bag. "Thank you for letting me stay, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." She, too, was dressed as a muggle with her long hair tied into a messy braid that hung down her back.

"Come on in out of the fire," Ginny invited. "You're very welcome, Lexy."

Harry put his arm around his wife. "We're very glad that you're here to keep Hope company."

Hope and Dominic exchanged hopeless expressions for the formality of her family. Hope always felt whenever they met anyone it was always with the caution of someone going off to the press. Not that her parents cared much for their public image, it was in the interest of avoiding unwanted attention to their home.

"Let's take your stuff to my room," Hope suggested brightly, gesturing for her friends to follow. Dominic. Lexy, Allison and Hope all hurried upstairs and out of sight of the adults.

Once the kids were gone, the adults exchanged impressed looks and went back into the dining room to talk over tea. Harry began to pour out cups of tea while Ron, Hermione and Ginny took their seats around the small mahogany table.

"Strange how the Malfoy girl looks so much like her father but she's nothing how you'd expect her to be," Hermione observed, accepting the cup of tea that Harry handed her. "I can see Draco's eyes staring back at me but it's almost wrong to hear how nice she is."

"I think Hope said she didn't grow up with her father," Ginny commented. "So that would explain it. Draco hasn't had the chance to ruin that poor girl."

"Good thing, too," Ron said darkly. "Can you imagine a play date at Malfoy Manor? I'd never let Dom set foot in that house." He spotted the _Daily Prophet_ on the corner of the table and pulled it toward himself to read.

"I'm just glad Hope has good friends," Harry concluded. His eyes went to Ron who was frowning at an article he was reading. "What is it? I haven't gotten around to reading that yet."

Ron finished reading the paragraph and then looked up worriedly. "Didn't you two say you went to Isabella Coy?"

Harry and Ginny nodded together as Harry lowered himself into a chair next to her. Ron slowly held up the paper to show her picture. "She's missing." Harry took the paper and read the article quickly with Hermione and Ginny leaning in to read it with him.

"Do you think it was a coincidence?" Ron asked after everyone was through. "With all these rumours of Death Eater spottings and activities?"

"And the fact that Harry and I have taken both of our kids there?" Ginny interjected in a hard voice. "I don't know, Ron. It's suspicious, but when we went there, she was very paranoid. Like she was waiting for someone to find her."

Hermione sipped at her tea. "It is odd that she just up and quit the Ministry, and then when Harry and Ginny take Ben there, they find her paranoid. Next thing you know, she's gone missing... maybe she _knew_ that someone was coming for her."

"Or predicted it," Ron added, smiling at Hermione who still scoffed at the art of divination.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law. "You realize our son does a similar thing, Hermione?"

Hermione's cheeks turned pink as she realized her mistake. "Sorry... I think the overall art has its holes, but it's not that I don't believe Ben has the talents."

Harry leaned forward, bringing the conversation back around to the important topic. "Or maybe we're all just worrying over this because of the rumours. We're all on edge... trying to keep the kids out of the war we had to live through." Harry tossed the paper back across the table. "I don't want to consider that this was Death Eaters. That war is over. I ended it with my own hands." Harry slid his hand over to capture Ginny's, lacing their fingers together.

Ginny nodded firmly. "I don't want to see anything start up again. I'd hate to have to let our kids live through the same thing we had to."

They all murmured in agreement and drank their tea, the subject switching over to forced pleasant conversation. Everyone wanted to agree with Harry but no one seemed quite able to completely forget about suspicions of a second war. Nine years ago, it had nearly ended with Harry's death, and it was terrifying enough to consider losing each other. It was enormously more terrifying to consider the safety of their children as well.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Kidnappings**

Drew folded her arms, staring down at the bound and gagged hostage with discontent. She hated surprises. Three Death Eaters stood behind her, Draco included, having just brought their guest inside and down to the basement to be held prisoner here.

"Tell me why she's here again?" Drew asked resignedly, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. She could feel a migraine coming on with all of this stress. It was a miracle they managed to mangle her orders so terribly and _not _call too much attention to criminal activity too fast.

"She has valuable information," Draco explained impatiently. "I was tired of waiting around. So I did some digging and found out that she's seen the Potters on two accounts."

The hostage at their feet stirred restlessly and moaned. Drew stared coldly down at her, still unsure of why she wanted to have this person held captive in her house. Not that she cared what happened to the woman, but she didn't need to worry about this one breaking loose.

Another Death Eater answered in a bored voice. "She saw the Potters nine years ago for their daughter and again a few months back for their son."

The other nodded with a tense expression. "If you've got any truth serum we can find out why."

"_Why_ do I care what she saw the Potters for?" Drew snapped at the four men.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You weren't there the first time, Drew. You're so inexperienced, and you have no idea how to go about getting the things you want. She's experienced in rare magic and is prophetic. _And_ she's had sessions regarding the Potter children, which translates to a _way to the Potter children. _The easiest way..."

Drew stared as Draco moved forward, straightening up to size himself up against Drew. "It's time for action. I'm done with waiting... we all are."

Drew glared at him and then raised her wand to summon a vile of Veritaserum that she kept in her stores. The little bottle flew into her hand and she bent down to remove the gag on Isabella's mouth before she dumped half of it down her throat. She straightened and pocketed the vile, hoping that the men behind her had been right.

Isabella let out a choked gasp for air and began coughing on the Potion before she slumped back on the ground, still held by her bonds.

"Now tell us," Drew said, dragging Isabella up to prop her against the wall. "Why did you see Hope Potter nine years ago?"

Isabella glared at Drew with a teary expression "Because of a scar on her arm."

"Why was this important?"

"Because it connects her with her father but I couldn't know more than that until she was older. It could allow for rare magic."

"What kind of rare magic?" Draco prompted from behind Drew.

Isabella bit her lip. "Anything... maybe make her powerful? I don't know."

"And the boy? Why did you see Potters' son?" Drew pressed.

Isabella's eyes fell to the floor as tears dripped down her cheeks. "Because he has premonitions and makes predictions." Her voice broke twice as she told them.

"Could he see us here, now?" Drew demanded quickly.

Isabella considered it and then nodded shakily. "It's possible."

"Has he seen us before?" Draco asked from behind Drew.

Isabella thought back. "He saw whoever the intruder in his room was.."

Drew whipped around to face Draco and the guilt etched on his face. "It was the only weak spot in that damn house I could apparate into. It was a fluke in the protection wards that Potter's got over that damned house. I was going to get Hope, like you wanted... but when I saw I was in his bedroom and he was hiding in the closet-"

"Idiot!" Drew snapped. "How could you not tell me this?" She turned back to Isabella with anger etched into every line of her face. "Did the brat reveal to his parents it was Draco?"

"No."

Drew thought for a moment, satisfied in the very least that Draco didn't ruin everything with his little stunt. She decided to ask a new question, one she'd been thinking about for a very long time now.

"Do you know a way to perform magic transferral?"

"Yes," Isabella replied miserably.

Drew smirked, pleased with this. "Good. What would be the easiest way to drain Harry Potter of his powers?"

Isabella choked on a sob, unwilling to give the answer but unable to stop herself from doing so, she whispered, "By using Hope Potter and her scar. That magic is reversible and the connection between father and daughter is unbreakable. Theoretically, you could drain Harry Potter of his powers through his daughter."

"Well, Draco," she said briskly, turning to her right-hand man. "Since you're so eager for action, you can do the honours."

Draco nodded. "I'll get her. And what about the youngest brat? Shouldn't we do something about him first?"

Drew thought for a moment. "Why don't you get him _first_? The longer they suffer the _better_. With the little prophet out of the way, no one can see us coming. Bring him here." Draco turned to go but she stopped him. "And Draco!"

He stopped, glancing back at her. "Do _not_ screw it up." His hand twitched for his wand but he rigidly whirled back around and stalked out of the room.

Drew tugged at Isabella's bonds and pulled her uneasily up to her feet as the woman struggled viciously against her bonds. Drew pushed at her, wand drawn, forcing her to walk forwards until they reached a small windowless room.

"In we go," Drew said, overly enthusiastic. With a flick of her wand, the gag re-appeared and Drew shut and locked the door, leaving Isabella alone. "You'll be joined soon, not to worry. And then you'll serve your purpose."

...

Ben woke up in a sweat, his heart beating wildly against his chest in a feeling of unexplained panic. He gulped in air, threw his covers back and darted from his bedroom. The door banged loudly against the wall as he scurried down the stairs in the dark, a sob choking out from his throat. He ran into walls as he barrelled through the house.

"Hope!" Ben wailed in a hiss, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. When he finally skidded into the living room where his sister and her friends were sleeping he paused, caught off-guard by their peaceful sleeping forms.

He stared at the group, confused as to why he was so scared, trying to remember. He wished he had his screen, so it could help him remember why he'd run down here. It was the middle of the night, and everyone was sleeping.

He was about to turn back and go back to bed, but then a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth and Ben shrieked, struggling furiously against his captors.

"Silencio!" There was a grunt as Ben kicked his captor's shin, followed quickly by "petrificus totalus."

Hope screamed, waking up to find three strangers in black cloaks in the room, one of them holding her brother. There was a crash upstairs somewhere as Dominic snatched his wand and shot a stream of fire toward the men. Hope felt a wave of relief that her cousin could react so quickly to the situation and fight back.

"Let him GO!" Hope screamed.

Draco smirked, picking up the frozen form of Ben from the floor. "Let's go," one of the other men said nervously, drawing his wand.

"Stupefy!" Ginny's voice screamed as she and Harry ran into the room. The spell missed one of the intruders by an inch. Harry spotted Draco and the small form in his arms and threw up his arm to keep Ginny from trying to hit them with a stunning spell, just in case she hit Ben by accident.

"Ben!" He choked out, his eyes wide. A forced calm came over as him as he stared at Draco pointedly. "Malfoy, give me my son. You don't want to do this."

"I disagree Potter," Draco scoffed. "I think that I really, really want to."

"N-no, let him go!" Draco's eyes landed on his daughter as she stood over her sleeping bag, quivering on the spot, but with angry tears burning in her eyes. "Please." She took a few hesitant steps. "Not Ben. He's just a little boy!"

"Alexandria!" His voice was breathless in a warning as he said it, his narrowed and his face twisted into an unreadable expression. All eyes were on Draco for a very long moment.

"STUPEFY!" Ginny cried out again, pushing past Harry. It hit the third Death Eater who crumpled to the floor as the children screamed in fright. "GIVE ME MY SON!"

"GO!" The remaining Death Eater shouted, and he and Draco disapparated with a loud crack.

Ginny fell to the floor, crying as her wand clattered to the floor. Harry knelt by her, tears burning in his eyes. "No..."

"Daddy, what are we going to do?" Hope asked in barely a whisper. Harry didn't reply for a long minute; the only sounds in the room were of Ginny's sobs and the children's ragged, fearful intakes of breath. Lexy sat on the sofa where Dominic was sitting up, wide awake, her eyes wide and unblinking.

"Dominic," Harry finally croaked. "Get everyone over to your parents place," he told them in a tight voice. "Tell them what happened... Ginny will go with you."

At this thought, Ginny jumped as if electrified and shook her head, wiping at her tears hastily. "I'm going with you! He's my son _too_!"

"Gin, it's so dangerous," he pleaded. He gazed at her and she glowered back. In the end, Ginny agreed but told Harry to wait for her.

"Come on, then," she told the children quickly. "Let's get you all over to Ron and Hermione's."

When Lexy didn't move, Ginny bent down to her level and placed a hand on the small girl's shoulder. Lexy's eyes unwillingly moved up to meets hers.

"None of this is your fault," she told her fiercely. "Don't you blame yourself one little bit."

"I didn't tell him I was here," Lexy whispered. "I swear."

"We believe you," Ginny replied, giving her a quick hug. "Now, let's do the best to keep you safe until we can get Ben back." Her voice caught on the mention of her son, and Lexy nodded sadly and got to her feet.

"You get them over, I'm going to contact the Ministry," Harry told her.

"I'm still coming." Ginny stood firmly on her feet and stared at her husband until he very slowly nodded and then turned to rush out of the room to call for help.

"Why did they take your brother?" Allison wondered in a low voice, speaking up for the first time.

Tear drops fell to her cheeks as Hope shrugged hopelessly. "I don't know."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A War in the Making? **

Ron and Hermione had taken in Dominic, Hope, Lexy and Allison without a moment of hesitation and listened in horror as Ginny explained what had happened. After five minutes, Ginny disapparated back into her own house, where Harry was standing in the living room, staring up at the ceiling with a frustrated expression.

He glanced at her over his shoulder when she appeared in the doorway. "They took down the wards I had up for keeping people from apparating in and out," he told her furiously. "And stunned my intruder charms so that we wouldn't hear them breaking in, and even then, it was too easy. They walked in the front door."

Ginny was slightly startled at the fact that she had apparated in here without a second thought. It hadn't even occurred to her that she'd been able to do it.

"The Aurors are on their way," he continued tersely, pacing around the living room and kicking sleeping bags out of his way as he went. "We'll get him back."

Ginny moved over to him and hugged him tightly. Harry kissed her forehead and held her in the silence of their empty house. Minutes past until finally Commander Ziles and four on-duty Aurors arrived one after the other.

"Lucky I was on-duty tonight," Ziles grunted, shaking Harry's hand. "I'm glad to help on something as serious as this." He sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his greying hair. "We'd best get started on the search for the little boy. Tell us what you know."

Harry explained everything from Ben's talent, to the first break-in, to what happened tonight. Ginny added in any details he forgot as she sat rigidly beside Harry on the sofa, her hands clutched in her lap. Ziles and the four Aurors listened attentively, one of them taking notes. At the end of it, the note-taker stood and turned to Ziles.

"Any orders, sir?" He asked.

"No. Report back to the others and have them ready to move on my command when I get back." The Auror nodded and apparated out of the house as he was told.

"We've been trying to keep this quiet," Ziles told Harry and Ginny gently. "But there has been disturbing evidence over some dark activity. A few disappearances, odd behaviour reported from previously convicted Death Eaters..."

"I think that would confirm it then," Harry retorted sarcastically. "Draco Malfoy appearing in my living room to kidnap my son..."

"Harry, I understand that this situation involves your own family," he began, his eyes narrowing. "But you worked for me, and you should also remember protocol for handling cases like this and family members who won't co-operate." He kept his dark eyes locked on Harry's meaningfully.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but Ziles beat him to it. "If you do _anything _rash, you know that I'll treat you like any other concerned parent and keep you out until you calm down and let us do our jobs properly. If we're dealing with a Death Eater re-grouping then you'll damn well follow protocol and come to me _first_. I won't have a massacre, Potter."

Ginny took her husband's hand and squeezed it. "We understand," she told him, as Harry now seemed resigned to speak.

Ziles nodded and got to his feet. "Get dressed and you're welcome to come in." He smiled slightly. "I may treat you like any other case, but I won't forget everything that you've done for us. I'll allow for you to be on-site."

Harry brightened considerably and thanked his old boss sincerely. They agreed to be dressed and at the Ministry in an hour to go over the details and any helpful information in greater detail. Harry was also advised to put the wards back up on his house, and ensure that the other children are sent home to their own parents for safety reasons. The Commander left shortly after, leaving Harry and Ginny to hurriedly prepare themselves for the day.

"I'll deal with Lexy and Allison's parents," Harry said, as he hurried up the stairs to his bedroom to get dressed with Ginny close on his heels.

"Thanks," Ginny replied feverently. "I don't need _anyone_ else to judge me for being a bad mother." Her voice was bitter and full of sadness, and at the top of the stairs, Harry stopped and grabbed her shoulders.

"Gin, _no one_ thinks that."

Tears welled in her eyes and her body began to shake with sobs. "Harry, you don't understand it. This isn't something new... I mean look at my life! I was pregnant and I ran off with our daughter. I tried to live as a muggle to keep hidden, but really, I was living unprotected without my wand. Death Eaters still found me. I failed." She took a deep breath and continued.

"And then my whole family... the way that they looked at me for weeks after you brought me back. They were afraid that I would run off again. Mum disapproved of my whole decision, and I could see it in her eyes. I raised our daughter without you... without your protection, without my family. I almost lost you in the war! And now _this _happens... and I lose our son!"

Harry felt helpless as Ginny sobbed in his arms. He felt his heart breaking as her whole body shook with terrible cries of guilt and sadness. He gently rubbed her back and held her until she managed to calm herself.

"Ginny, nobody thinks you're a bad mother," he murmured to her reassuringly. "I love you so much, and you've always been fantastic with the kids, and handling everything all at once. You put up with me during the Auror days, and you raised our daughter wonderfully all on your own." He pulled her back slightly to look at her.

"I love you now just as much the day I fell in love with you. Don't you ever doubt yourself, Gin! This wasn't your fault, and there's nothing that either of us could have done to protect our family anymore than we tried."

Her eyes were downcast as she nodded, tears still dropping pathetically onto her face. "I feel so helpless, Harry."

He nodded and kissed her gently on the lips. "Me too. But we're going to get him back, Gin. We will. Did you see Malfoy's face when he saw his daughter there?" Ginny nodded slightly at this, her face thoughtful. "Maybe I was imagining it... but I think that deep down, he's got a heart."

Ginny looked like she very desperately wanted to believe this; Malfoy might not hurt Ben now if he showed some sort of emotion for a daughter he'd never known. Maybe it would be enough to save their son?

"Let's go get ready," Ginny said, determination leaking into her voice."I can't wait around anymore."

...

Lexy, Allison, Hope and Dominic were huddled upstairs in Dominic's rooms, all of them wrapped in blankets that Ron and Hermione had given them, and all of them holding their wands as if waiting for another attack. They'd been at Dominic's for over an hour and a half, and Ron and Hermione had returned back to sleep thirty minutes before; it was now 4:45 am.

Lexy sat with Hermione's old charms textbooks in her lap, flipping through them studiously. Hope eyed her wearily and hugged the wool blanket around her tighter.

"Lex, what are you doing?"

"Looking for anything useful," Lexy murmured without looking up.

"Why? They won't come back." Dominic was glaring at her, offended by the very idea of needing to prepare for another visit by the Death Eaters.

Lexy didn't answer and Allison sighed heavily, flexing her hand to create tiny different coloured sparks to amuse herself. Dominic and Hope found themselves watching Allison for lack of anything else to do as no one was able to fall asleep again tonight.

"The stunning spell!" Lexy whispered in triumph, her finger running across the page as she read the words. This is the one that your Mum used, Hope."

Hope crawled across the space between them and read along with Lexy. "Stupefy?" Lexy nodded and waved her hand as the textbook instructed. Dominic bit his lip and flipped onto his back on his bed, looking at his friends upside down.

"Stop preparing for a war, Lexy. It's making me anxious."

Lexy snapped the book shut. "You think I'm going to do _nothing_?" She hissed. "It's my _father_ doing these things! My stupid, mean, evil father is a kidnapper of my best friend's little brother! Excuse me for wanting to be able to defend myself against my family. I don't expect _you_ to understand! You're a Weasley... you have _no _idea what it's like to be me!"

Dominic gaped at Lexy, flushing. "I'm sorry!" He stammered. "Lexy, you're not a Malfoy."

Allison raised an eyebrow at Dominic, extinguishing a purple flame. Hope glanced from her cousin to Lexy, unsure of what to say.

Dominic shook his head. "Well, of course you are, but I meant you're not what the Malfoys have come to stand for. You're not like the rest of them."

Lexy let out a long breath and re-opened her book. "It's okay. But I'm going to my Dad's house to try and rescue Ben." There was a collective, stunned gasp as they all gaped at Lexy.

But then, "I'm coming!" Hope whispered firmly, her voice full of determination.

"Guys, shouldn't we tell our parents? Won't your parents be mad, Hope?" Dominic interjected anxiously. "If you just take off, you're Mum will _freak_! That's both kids."

"I have to try, Dom. We don't even know if he's Ben to his house. There's a good chance he's somewhere completely different. If he's not there, we'll come straight back. Plus we're kids... we can get in there a lot easier than our parents and a group of Aurors. They'll be expecting Aurors."

"If we find anything we'll come back too," Lexy added. "We might be able to get in, but we'll still need help."

"We'll need a better plan than this," Allison said, leaning forward. "Are we all in?" Everyone looked at Dominic, who threw up his hands, his face innocent.

"I didn't say I wasn't coming... I was just worried about having my wand snapped in two when I get home." Hope rolled her eyes and Allison chuckled darkly at his comment.

"Alright," Allison said, clapping her hands together. "Since Lexy knows the house, she'll lead us in. Draw us a quick floor plan so we can split up. If we don't find anything in twenty minutes, we come back. Agreed?"

They all nodded as Dominic got up and went to his desk to give Lexy parchment and a quill for the floor plan. As they watched her draw, Allison frowned as she stared at the quill moving across the parchment.

"Why do you think they took Ben?" She asked sadly. "Why are they doing this at all?"

"Something is definitely up," Lexy muttered, labelling the rooms she'd sketched out on the first floor.

"Ben is kind of prophetic," Hope whispered, causing all her friends to look up at her in surprise. "My parents told me. Maybe they took him because of that."

"Prophetic? This isn't something you wanted to tell us?" Dominic asked, startled.

Hope ignored him. "Why would they care if Ben is prophetic?" Allison asked sceptically. "He's just a kid!"

Dominic cringed and suggested in a grave tone. "Unless they were worried about Ben seeing them coming? Unless this is much bigger than a kidnapping... what if this _is_ war. Like the one our parents were in with You-Know-Who?"

"Voldemort is gone." Hope replied firmly. She remembered with a disturbing clarity the details of the story her parents had told her a year ago about the terrible things they had to endure in the war with Voldemort.

Lexy hesitated, having little knowledge on the war and Voldemort. "Well something very bad is going on if they just randomly break into the Potters' house and take a little kid."

"Which means we need to do our part while our parents do what they can," Hope said conclusively. "Keep going, Lex. Hopefully we can get back before Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron realize that we're gone."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: The Rescue Mission**

With the floor plan drawn up, they crept downstairs toward the fireplace in the living room. Hope was sure that her dad would have gone into the Ministry, and so it would be safe for them to quickly return and change into their clothes. Dominic was already wearing jeans and a sweater, and waited patiently while the girls changed out of their pajamas. In a few minutes, they were grabbing handfuls of Floo Powder bucket from atop the fireplace to head over to Lexy's father's house.

Lexy gave them the address and coolly volunteered to go first. They each put a handful into their pockets as well, so that if needed, they could run back to the grate and make a quick getaway. The plan was that if Lexy was spotted, she'd throw the Floor Powder back in the grate and shout Hope's address to cause the green flames to erupt as a warning signal so that no one would follow.

"Ready?" Lexy asked her friends, taking a brave step into the fireplace. She tossed her first handful of powder by her feet and called out her father's address. Hope, Dominic and Allison waited tensely, but when nothing happened, Hope followed suit, and then Dominic, and Allison.

They all stood in a dark sitting area with nothing more than two arm chairs, the fireplace, and a small bookcase in the room. There was dust on the mantle, and on the bookcase, which they all agreed was odd. It was as if this room was never used.

"Do you think anyone's home?" Dominic whispered, drawing his wand just as the others did.

Lexy shrugged. "Doesn't sound like it. I wasn't in many rooms of this house." Her eyes moved about cautiously, squinting in the darkness.

"Okay, we should split up," Allison said. "Remember, we're to be back in twenty minutes. No spells... hide if you have to." They all nodded in nervous agreement before it was decided that Hope and Dominic would go together and Lexy and Allison would go together. "We've got this floor, you guys do the second floor, and then we'll do the basement together, agreed?"

"See you soon!" Lexy whispered, handing Hope the floor plan to the house.

"Let's go!" Dominic muttered, tugging at her cousin's arm. He peered out into the dark hallway. "It's so dark," he complained anxiously.

"Our parents have done much worse than this," Hope replied dryly, the corners of her mouth pulled up in a smile.

Hope squinted in the darkness as she felt her way along the hall, nearly walking into a small shelf sticking out from the wall. "We'll have to do without light until we hit the basement... hopefully since we're in the Malfoy house, there are some sort of wards up against Ministry detection."

"That's all we need," Dominic grumbled. "Warnings from the Ministry for underage magic."

Hope elbowed him. "Better a warning after using magic to save your own butt than ending up caught in this haunted mansion. There's the stairs!"

They tiptoed over to the stairs and started their slow climb up, trying to avoid the creakier steps and wincing every time their feet made the wood groan too loudly. At the top of the stairs, the hallway windows that overlooked the front yard were uncovered and the moonlight poured inside the house giving them a source of light.

There were two rooms behind the stairs, and several doors farther down the hall opposite the four dirty windows on the wall. The first two rooms were empty, and being upstairs made them exceptionally nervous.

"If there's someone in the house, they'll be up here!" Dominic breathed to Hope anxiously, as they shut the bathroom door. Hope tried not to let her cousin scare her, but she knew he was right.

"They kidnapped Ben like two hours ago!" She snapped back in a hiss. "You don't steal a kid and then trot off to bed. Calm down!"

The last door in the hall led to the master bedroom and the door was already open for them. Dominic peeked inside, but breathed a sigh of relief to see that it, too, was empty. The curtains were drawn and the bed sheets were tangled. Overall the room was a disaster of clothes, newspapers and random items shoved inside.

"Let's go," Hope whispered. "I doubted they'd hide someone upstairs if anyone was here."

They hurried back to the stairs and carefully climbed back down them, going a little faster this time. They moved back to the doorway of the sitting room and waited there for Lexy and Allison. Several minutes passed by before there was soft footsteps and Hope and Dominic scurried around the corner just in case.

"It's just us!" Lexy's soft voice said, instantly relaxing Hope and Dominic who emerged with their wands still drawn.

Allison shuddered. "Just the basement... then we can go back."

Hope bit her lip, her heart pounding. She had absolutely no desire to descend into the basement simply on instinctual fear of a dark, strange basement, but the thought of her brother, alone and scared, made her brave enough to nod and be the first to follow Lexy out of the sitting room and down the hall past the stairs.

Lexy carefully turned the handle and opened the door wide, relieved when the house remained silent. Taking a big breath, she began the descent down the stairs. The basement was a lot cooler than the rest of the house as they edged cautiously down into blackness. They left the door open for some light and also for a quicker escape if danger were to pop up unexpectedly.

At the moment she left the staircase, Lexy fumbled against the wall for the light switch and hurriedly flicked it on. Light exploded around them to reveal nothing but boxes, old furniture covered with sheets, and dusty cabinets. They stared around the room, but it seemed that the basement was just one large room used for storage.

"Nothing here..." Allison said worriedly, taking a few steps forward. "It's all junk."

Hope sighed, disappointed that they'd found nothing, but relieved at the same time. "Let's go." At least her brother had been taken to this scary mansion. It was only a moment later that things changed.

The basement door slammed shut atop the basement stairs and the four kids screamed and jumped as a cloaked man descended toward them at an alarming speed. He came down the stairs with a twisted smile, his wand drawn. He looked particularly menacing and the four kids pressed in toward another instinctually.

"Well, well, well... naughty little brats breakin' in here. You think you weren't going to get caught?"

Dominic, Hope, Lexy and Allison all backed up, their wands pointed at the man in the black cloak with shaking hands. It was Hope who spoke up first just as he stepped to the cement floor.

"Where is my brother?" She demanded furiously. The man laughed loudly.

"You're so very helpful, you know. We were comin' for you _anyway_. Saves us a trip!" He laughed again. "Incarcerous!" He repeated the spell three other times until all four kids were struggling against tight bonds, their wands trapped in their hands against their sides.

"We'd best get you all settled." He raised his wand again and waved it in mid-air at the clutter. As he moved the wand, there was a high-pitched sharp noise as his wand moved, and suddenly the clutter of the basement vanished and a long white wall replaced formed not five feet behind where Hope and her friends were bound. There was a thick wooden door in the center of the wall that swung open on its own.

The man grabbed hold of Hope in one arm and Allison in his other, and pushed through the door and halfway down a short, dark hallway, before coming back for Dominic and Lexy. Once all four kids were dropped carelessly to the floor in the hall, he raised his wand again and muttered a spell under his breath. Before any of them had a chance to know what had happened, they fell asleep on the cold cement of the floor.

...

No one knew had much time had passed before Hope started to wake up. She groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open and she realized she was face-first on the freezing cement. With some effort, she managed to roll herself onto her side, and glance at the still forms of her friends. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered what happened.

"Hello?" She whispered through the darkness.

"Hope?" It was Allison's voice that answered her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

Allison hesitated. "I think I hit my head... there's blood on my face. But I feel okay."

Hope grimaced and wiggled her feet, finding that she could at least move those. She was able to kick at Dominic's back, and after several light kicks, Dominic woke up with a groan.

"Allison, can you reach Lexy?" Hope whispered, realizing that Lexy was too far from her to wake her.

"Yeah!" Allison nudged Lexy with her head. Lexy woke up fairly quickly, more disorientated than everyone else.

"Is everyone okay?" Dominic asked, obviously frightened A unanimous grim 'yes' answered his question.

"Why are we here?" Allison wondered aloud.

Lexy groaned, struggling against her bonds. "I don't know... it's some hidden hallway. The jerk just left us here."

"Do you think Ben is in here?" Hope asked suddenly, peering around the hall.

"SHH!" Dominic's voice suddenly rang as footsteps were heard from behind the wall. "Close your eyes!"

They all obeyed, listening and waiting tensely for the door to open. Sure enough, it was pulled open and two sets of footsteps entered the room. There was a soft noise of triumph as the feet paused in the doorway, and then walked quickly toward them.

"Lucky us," a female voice said cheerily. "They walked right here. She certainly _is_ Potter's kid... she's got the same fool's sense of nobility."

"What did Rookwood do with them?" She asked a moment later, her footsteps coming closer to Hope's head.

"Put them to sleep so they wouldn't start screaming for help." The woman made a noise of acknowledgement, but it sounded sceptical. "Separate them, then, and quickly, before they wake up. I'll be back... I'll let Draco know he can stop his search for Hope Potter."

"Right," the male voice agreed curtly. Hope felt his hands grab her up and she tried to act limp as he lifted her and carried her down the hall, away from her friends. As her head was turned to the side, she chanced fluttering open her eye nearest the floor and watched as he round the corner. Apparently this wasn't just a hidden room, but a hidden part of the house. He finally stopped outside a thick door which he muttered a password and the door flew open.

He set Hope down on the floor with care, obviously so that he wouldn't wake her, and then shut the door. Hope opened her eyes and looked around, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. She could hear her breathing coming in fast and shallow as she struggled against the ropes that so tightly bound her arms and legs together.

"Hello?" Came a soft, frightened voice. The sound of it made Hope's heart jump up into her throat and tears well in her eyes in relief.

"Ben?" She cried out in a whisper, relief washing over her. _I've found him! He's safe!_

"Hope?" Her name came out in a choked sob as little hands found her face and hair in the darkness and he stroked his sister's head in relief. His little hands brushed against the thick cords that started around her shoulders.

It broke her heart how terrified he sounded and must have felt being held here, so she took a deep breath and tried her best to sound brave for him. "Ben, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," he cried, his voice cracking. "Hope, are you all tied up?"

She decided to avoid the obvious. "We all came to rescue you, Ben. And Mummy and Daddy are talking with the Aurors now to come get us. They'll be here so soon, Ben. But for now, we'll have to be brave Gryffindors and wait, okay?"

"Just like Daddy was a brave Gryffindor?" He asked in a quivering voice.

Hope nodded and smiled in the darkness. "Yep. You'll be a brave Gryffindor for sure when you're big enough to go to Hogwarts."

"I'll try, Hope." Hope wanted to reach out and hug her little brother for his determined bravery at only five years old.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Gone **

Harry slid his arm around Ginny's waist protectively as the lift's doors opened and they strode forward into the quiet hallway leading to the Auror offices. They passed no one as Harry quickly escorted her down a side hallway and to a large oak door which he opened and stepped inside first.

There was no receptionist at the desk and Harry didn't bother to pause and call for anyone. He led them past rows of cubicles, and a few office doors, before pausing in front of the last one in the hall labelled **R. ZILES- commander** and knocked lightly on the door. It was wrenched open by a younger female auror who held a tall paper cup of coffee in one hand.

Ziles' voice sounded from behind the door. "It's the Potters, Jennifer, let them in, please."

The Auror called Jennifer nodded and stepped aside to admit them, eyeing Ginny curiously. It was odd to see someone who wasn't an Auror back here, let alone their family members. Jennifer sat down in a chair in the corner and crossed her legs, waiting.

"Have a seat, please." Ziles gestured vagely in front of two chairs in front of his large desk. Papers, folders and several rolled up maps covered the surface in disarray. A cigar sat, still smoking, in its ash tray and several dirty coffee mugs filled up both upper corners of the desk.

"Any news?" Harry inquired, his voice business-like. He was determined to be as objective as possible so that he wouldn't have these privileges taken away from him.

Ziles shook his head and picked up the cigar to take a long drag from it. "No, we're waiting on Legal to get back to me. We don't need a warrant to search the Malfoy premises considering you both witnessed him in your house and the age of your son. I want Legal to know, before we leave. If the rumours are true about the Death Eaters, we're going to have to lay multiple charges tonight." He dropped the cigar back in its tray with irritation.

"And other suspects?" Harry pressed. "Malfoy wasn't the only one there last night."

Ziles eyed Harry sympathetically. "Potter, you've been out of the game for so long now..."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry asked politely, folding his arms.

Ginny leaned over and placed a hand on his arm. "Harry, we need to leave this to the Aurors. He's saying it'll be hard for you to remain objective in this situation." Her voice rang with truth, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was having a hard time keeping herself controlled just as much as he was.

"Is there _anyone_ else you could think of that might want to personally hurt you or your family?" Ziles asked, leaning forward. "All we're going on is Draco Malfoy right now."

Harry and Ginny thought for a long moment, but both came up with blank expressions. Ginny was the one who spoke up. "Harry left this job to get away from everything, to protect our family. This person must have been planning this for years."

Ziles sighed and nodded. He looked over at Jennifer and signalled to her. "Gather a group together, I'll call Legal. We'll get started on the searching of the Malfoy house." Jennifer bowed her head and left the room quickly, her robes swishing as she went.

"This will be a waiting game," he told them. "It's nearly six am. Why don't you get something to eat... might as well get comfortable. If we find _anything_ I'll let you know."

"Thank you." Harry and Ginny murmured in unison, as they got to their feet to leave the office.

"Are you hungry?" Ginny asked as they left, shutting the door quietly behind them. Harry shook his head no. "Me neither... let's head over to Ron and Hermione's to let them know what's going on, we'll get some coffee and come back."

"All right," Harry agreed dully. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to hug Ginny goodbye, don his old Auror robes and rush after Jennifer to join the search. If he hadn't left, he could be out there leading the search for his son, instead of leaving it for strangers to handle. If he hadn't left, maybe they _would_ have been better protected. If, if, if. He hated the possibilities, but he hated this waiting for something to happen even more.

Harry and Ginny disapparated from the atrium from the designated apparating points to the front yard of Ron and Hermione's house. The sun was beginning to rise and casting an orange and pink glow in the sky overhead.

Ginny knocked, and then let herself in. "Hello?" She called out to the seemingly empty house.

"Ginny!" It was Ron who appeared first. He looked ragged, dressed in Chudley Canon pajama bottoms and an old sweater. "Come on in."

"Manage to get a few hours?" Harry asked, noting his pajamas. "Thanks again for taking the kids in."

"No, we've been up waiting, really." He led them to the kitchen where Hermione sat stirring sugar into a cup of tea. She jumped up, her face pale and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and lack of sleep. She hugged Ginny first, and then Harry.

"Ron, pour them some tea!" Hermione told Ron as she sat back down at the table. "Any word?"

Ginny explained that the Aurors were searching Malfoy's house right now, but it would be a few hours until they heard anything. Harry sat next to Ron, his eyes downcast on the table. Hermione patted his hand, her own hand shaking.

"Harry, they'll find him. You have to believe that."

"Yeah, come on, mate. You have to think positive." Ron passed his sister and Harry a cup of tea and set milk and a small cup of sugar cubes on the table.

"Are the kids asleep?" Ginny asked worriedly.

Hermione nodded. "They were up whispering for the longest time, but I finally heard them settle down a few hours ago. They must be exhausted. And Lexy Malfoy! She looks terrible! I think she feels guilty that it was her father who took Ben."

There was a long moment of silence in which they all stared in space, having nothing to say. Ginny and Harry made up their tea, filling the kitchen with sounds of the spoons gently stirring sugar and milk into the china cups. The sweet smell of caffeine filled the air, offering a bit of comfort to the overly tense adults.

Ron let out a long breath. "I still can't believe that this has happened. Ben's a tough little kid, though. He'd want to be brave for his Dad."

A corner of Harry's mouth lifted up into a sad smile at this. "He's always told me he's a brave Gryffindor."

Hermione smiled too. "Tonight he's proving that to you!"

Harry checked his watch with a heavy sigh, sipping at his tea. Both Harry and Ginny drank their tea hurriedly, waiting for the minutes to pass them by. After ten minutes of this, Harry stood.

"I'm just going to go check on the kids. I'd rather be at the Ministry, in case anything happens. Where are they?"

"Sure, we understand." Hermione agreed sympathetically.

"Dominic's room," Ron replied.

Harry headed for the stairs and quietly walked down the hall until he arrived at Dominic's room, only to find the door locked. He felt guilt wash over him once more, at how scared and paranoid the kids must feel to lock the door when they slept. He pulled out his wand, and unlocked it with a whispered spell before he slowly twisted the handle and edged it open.

There was four lumps in the blankets in the dark room; one on the bed, and three on the floor. Harry stared at their make-shift beds for a long moment, satisfied that they had all fallen asleep. He was about to pull the door closed when he realized what he was actually staring at. His blood ran cold and he felt sick, his hand trembling on the door knob. He moved into the room and pulled back the oddly-shaped blankets, realizing that the lumps on the floor were indeed balled clothes and blankets underneath. He gasped, and pulled back all the other blankets, just to be sure.

"THEY'RE GONE!" Harry roared as more fear, nausea and panic hit him like a ton of bricks. He thundered back down the stairs and Ron, Hermione and Ginny met him at the bottom, all of them looking horror-struck.

"WHAT?" Hermione shrieked, her hands flying to her face. "They're _gone_?" She burst into tears immediately.

"YES! I thought you said they were asleep!" Harry was bearing down on his best friends, his face pale and his voice shaking with fury. "You said they were safe!"

Hermione's wails filled the halls and Ginny put her shaking arms around her as Ron stepped up to Harry. "Harry, we thought they _were_," he said faintly. "Why would we gamble with our own son in that room! We put them in there, we watched them go to bed... they told us they were tired! They wanted to _sleep_."

"I can't believe this," Ginny sobbed as she and Hermione held each other.

Harry whirled away from them and paced back and forth in quick, short steps. "I'll kill Malfoy," he whispered with a tortured expression on his face. "He's taken _both_ of my children... he's torn my family apart."

"What can we do?" Ginny asked miserably. "Harry... If he's taken them, the Aurors will find them at the Malfoy house with Ben."

Harry stopped and his fist slammed into the wall. "We don't _know_ that. We need other possible angles! Any other Death Eater could be holding them hostage!"

No one spoke for a long moment until Harry spoke again. "Hogwarts," he breathed in a moment of realization. "Let's go talk to Dumbledore... maybe he's got some ideas?".

"Let's go," Ron snapped, and he disapparated without another word.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Rescue Me **

Hope had no idea how long she was lying on the cold floor. Ben was sitting beside her, leaning up against the wall. It was cold in here, and she was tired and very thirsty, but she felt comfort in the fact that she still held tightly onto her wand. At least would be able to _try_ to defend herself and Ben.

Ben suddenly sat up, taking in a shaky gasp of air. Hope looked up to see his shadow moving above her. "What's wrong?" She asked anxiously, her voice cracking from dehydration.

"People are coming," Ben told her quietly. "Good guys." His voice sounded hopeful and it made her happy. Her parents must be getting closer to the truth. She wondered if they knew that they had left Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron's yet. She was sure she'd be grounded for weeks on end for that alone.

"Do the ropes hurt?" Ben asked worriedly, tugging at them yet again. Hope winced as his little fingers dug beneath the already unbearably tight ropes that held her still.

"No," Hope lied. He kept trying to find a loose spot for several minutes, working his way down her body. He reached her arms when his fingers grazed her arm, and she gasped out. Pain radiated from the scar on her arm to the point that Hope was struggling to breathe it hurt so badly. Ben jumped back, startled at her reaction.

"I'm sorry, Hope!" He whimpered in the darkness. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"My... scar..." Hope choked out, cringing toward the floor. "It burns!" She ground her teeth together and locked her jaw; it wouldn't do good to scream.

Ben suddenly edged forward again and his fingers traced down her arm until he found the scar. He hesitated and then pressed his fingers tight up against it. Hope gasped out again in pain as it intensified for a split second, and then she froze as she felt the pain fade for a second. She felt Ben go rigid next to her and it worried her.

"Ben?" She whispered nervously, nudging at him with her head. The pain was fading quickly now; it was almost gone.

Ben reacted as if she'd shocked him and he took his fingers away. "Daddy is very angry," he told her in an off-handed conversational tone.

Hope gaped. What had just happened? Ben's touch had started the pain, and stopped it, and he had been able to determine the cause of the pain by touching her? This was confusing...

"How do you know?" Hope asked him curiously.

Ben flexed his fingers in front of him, and Hope could see the outline as he wiggled his fingers experimentally in front of her face. "I don't know. I saw Daddy when I touched your scar. He's very angry."

"Have you ever done that before?"

"Nope," Ben answered sadly. "I knew the bad men were coming to get me though."

"Why?" Hope demanded.

Ben seemed at peace with the answer he gave her. "Because they wanted it to be a surprise. Plus the girl thinks that she can use me... she doesn't like Mummy, Hope. The girl says 'it's all her fault!'"

"What girl?" She almost didn't want to hear Ben's freaky answers.

"The girl with the red hair. She's not very nice. She put me in here." He paused and then added bitterly. "I don't like the dark. I wish I had my night-light."

Hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door and both Hope and Ben tensed, waiting for whoever it was to either open the door or to pass by them. The footsteps stopped outside the door and Hope could see the shadow of someone standing just outside in the sliver of light under the door.

There was a dull thud against the door and Ben edged closer against his sister, as if trying to hide himself. Hope wished that she could use her hands so she could defend them, but until she was free she would be helpless to save Ben or herself. The door cracked open and Hope's heart nearly leapt into her throat.

"There she is!"

Hope could have sobbed with relief at the sight of Allison and her cousin, somehow _free_ and smiling proudly down at her.

"DOMINIC!" Ben sang. He jumped up and ran to his cousin who hugged him tightly and ruffled his hair.

Dominic grinned "Hello cousin! Alright, Hope?"

"How did you two escape?" Hope asked in disbelief

"They locked us up... but apparently fire and explosions are Allison's specialty. The guy who shut us in has a bad head injury now... but we got the keys from him and Allison burnt off the cord. A little fire and the spell wears right off." His grin widened as Allison hurried in, bending down to the cold floor beside her.

"Don't move," she warned Hope. She raised her hands and pressed them against the rope carefully before jerking back as a small flame ignited around the cords of her feet. It burned for mere seconds before the cords vanished in a puff of smoke.

Hope sprang to her feet, massaging her arms where the cords had cut into her. "Thanks! Where's Lexy?" She asked anxiously, but Dominic and Allison looked sad.

"They took her on her dad's orders."

"Malfoy is here?" Hope asked anxiously.

Allison nodded. "Half the house is under the same spell that the basement was under. It's the perfect hiding spot. Fifty aurors could walk in here and find _nothing_."

Hope winced at this and her voice became more urgent. "We need to find Lexy, guys!"

"We also need help." Dominic reminded her logically. "Who knows how long it'll take before the Aurors realize that we're hidden under some complicated magic."

Hope frowned. "What are you saying? We leave and then cross our fingers that the Aurors can bring back Lexy?"

"Hope, I'm saying that one of us needs to make a break for it. It'll be extremely dangerous to get up there unnoticed and into the fireplace. If one of us is caught, they'll realize we're all free. Either way, we're in a lot of danger!" Dominic looked at his cousin pleadingly. "I want to save Lexy too, but we need to think big picture here. We don't know enough magic to survive duelling with Death Eaters."

"Dominic wants to volunteer to make a break for it," Allison said softly. "We came up with this as we broke free. He's right."

Dominic nodded. "I'm the fastest... I just need to get up to the sitting room."

Hope swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. She knew that her cousin was right, that they would need help if they were all to get out alive. And someone needed warn the Aurors so that help would be here sooner rather than later. "Take Ben with you," she replied.

Ben stared at his sister with wide eyes. "I can stay and help, Hope. I'll be brave, I promise!"

Hope smiled sadly at him but shook his head. "Ben, you've been so brave already. But Mummy and Daddy were worried sick about you. They need to know that you're okay. And they'll need you to help them remember that we're coming home soon." Ben hesitated and then agreed, striding back over to hold Dominic's hand.

"Alright, then," Allison murmured. "Okay, Hope and I will go up and cause a distraction. I haven't seen anyone in this hall but there will be people upstairs guarding the house. We'll keep looking for Lexy while you guys get help."

"Good luck," Dominic whispered in a strained voice.

"You too."

"Let's go," Allison whispered, leading them out of the holding room. Hope and Dominic raised their wands defensively as they crept forward, Ben hurrying along beside Dominic, his eyes wide and fearful. The hallway was short and empty, and they paused at the door.

"Ready?" Hope whispered to Dominic and Ben. "Please be careful! Take care of Ben!"

Dominic nodded. "Don't worry..." He grasped the door handle and glanced at Allison who took position with her arms outstretched and fingers flexed. Hope gave her a questioning glance until Dominic wrenched it open, dodging behind it at the same moment that someone moved on the other side.

Allison exhaled sharply as she sent a faint purple bauble toward the Death Eater who was guarding the door. The purple bauble knocked him out with a dull thud, leaving their path free. The Death Eater slid to the floor and Dominic grabbed Ben's hand and hurried with him forward into the basement, which was thankfully empty for the time being.

They all rushed up to the stairs with Hope and Allison bolting up first. Hope copied Dominic by pulling open the door and then jumping aside to press her back against the wall while Allison took out two more Death Eaters with the purple balls of light. They then darted out and found themselves face to face with three more Death Eaters who cursed at the sight of Hope and Allison.

"Run!" Hope screeched, grabbing Allison's hand and tugging at her move. They wound their way around the house, unsure if Dominic and Ben had made it past the Death Eaters to safety. As they hid themselves under the kitchen table as the Death Eaters scrambled around the house searching for them, Hope watched with a terrified expression as the nearest one pulled back his sleeve and touched his wand to a black tattoo on his arm, staring up at the ceiling.

She had learned enough from hearing horror stories and from eavesdropping on the few rare stories of Death Eaters told in her house to know what he was doing, and to know that they were in real trouble now.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Safe**

"The Aurors have been dispatched, sir. And I've just sent the Potters to the lounge to wait for any news on their kids or any of the other missing kids. Mr. Ron Weasley and his wife will be joining them shortly."

Commander Ziles glanced up at Captain Jennifer Ritlann who stood in the doorway. He thanked her and she promptly dismissed herself, closing the door behind her. Ziles stood up and moved to the coat rack to pull on his Auror robes. He began buttoning himself up, his eyes on his appearance in the mirror, and how grey hairs seemed to dominate his head now.

_I'm getting too old for this stuff._

He finished buttoning his cloak and grabbed his hat, and the documents that Legal had given him in the advent that Malfoys' lawyers wanted to press charges. Suddenly his office door flew open again and this time the receptionist stumbled in, her face white with shock. She was doubled over from running, and clutching onto the door handle, gasping for breath.

"SIR! Two of the kidnapped children just fell out of our fireplace from the Floo Network!"

Ziles didn't even respond before he raced past the woman and ran down the hall with the receptionist scurrying behind him. Sure enough, two small children covered in soot were standing uneasily in front of the fireplace across from the receptionist's desk. Captain Ritlann was already kneeling beside the youngest boy, and asking him his name. He looked around the room shyly and told them he was Benjamin Potter. The other boy identified himself as Dominic Weasley, one of the other kidnapped children.

"Annette, please go and alert Mr. and Mrs. Potter that their son and nephew have returned," Ziles told the receptionist and she immediately hurried away and out of sight, her heels clacking noisily on the floor as she went.

"Are you hurt at all?" Ritlann asked both boys gently.

Both boys shook their heads no as they got to their feet. Dominic spoke up, still clutching Ben's hand protectively. "We got away... we came to warn you otherwise you might never find us!"

"BEN!" Ben whirled around to find Ginny, and then Harry, running into the room and toward him. Tears sprang up in the little boy's eyes as his mother swallowed him up in her arms and held him tightly. Harry put his arms around them both, relieved to have Ben back safely.

"Thank god! Thank god!" Ginny kept repeating as she sobbed and held her son, rocking him back and forth. Harry turned to give Dominic a big hug.

"Hi Uncle Harry," Dominic greeted him with a grin.

"Thank you for bringing Ben back to us, Dom!" Ginny said, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "You were so brave, Dom!"

"Mummy, I was brave too!" Ben pouted, resting his head on her shoulder. Ginny and Harry chuckled at their son.

"Where are the others? Where's Hope?" Harry asked in a more serious tone.

Dominic looked up at Commander Ziles, the Captain and the Potters shyly. "She's still there. That's why I escaped... so I could help you find them. They couldn't leave without saving Lexy."

Ginny and Harry breathed a collective sigh of relief in that Hope, as far as Dominic knew, was safe for the time being. The receptionist returned with Hermione and Ron on her heels, both of them relieved beyond description to see that their son was returned safely to them. As they hugged Dominic, Ziles told the Captain to report the news to the dispatched Aurors. Once the Weasleys had their quick reunion, he gestured to an oak door behind him.

"Why don't we all talk in the lounge," Ziles suggested. "We need to know everything."

...

"So it's a lot of complicated magic to hide that much of his house permanently," Ziles observed grimly, as Dominic finished telling them their story. "And do you remember how they got in?"

Dominic thought for a long moment. "All he did was wave his wand at the stuff." Dominic mimicked the movement. Ziles nodded in understanding. The spells were held in place by a movement and positioning charm; a very common procedure for hiding a door, a secret entrance, or closet.

Ziles stood. "Excuse me, I must pass along this information. I'll be back in a moment."

When the door had swung shut, Ginny scooped her son up into her arms. "You're a very brave little boy," she told him proudly.

"You both are," Hermione added, her arm around her son protectively. "We're all very proud of you both."

"He'll get them all out, right?" Dominic asked his parents nervously. "Hope, Allison and Lexy?"

"Of course," Ginny responded, her voice thick with emotion. "This will all be over soon."

Ziles returned as Ginny finished speaking. "Alright, we'll just have to wait now. The Aurors now at least have an advantage in knowing where to start their search. Harry, I trust you're still familiar with our quarters? Perhaps the children would feel better if they had something to eat and drink? Perhaps rest?"

Harry nodded and stood, taking Ben from Ginny. "Thank you, sir."

Ziles ducked his head. "I'll be in touch."

Everyone got to their feet and followed Harry out a side door. They walked in silence, hoping that the Aurors would find Allison, Hope and Lexy soon. The sooner that this revolt was crushed, the better.

...

Meanwhile, on Malfoy's property, it was chaos. The Aurors had been on-site for fifteen minutes before all hell broke loose. Draco Malfoy himself had answered the door, and had grudgingly stepped aside for the Aurors to commence their search. He followed them, his mouth in a tight line and his arms folded over his chest.

All it took was one Death Eater to cause trouble. He came up the stairs from the basement, spotted an Auror, and immediately drew his wand. The Death Eater was arrested on the spot and dragged outside. When the news came to go to the basement and take down the wards hiding most of the house, things spiralled out of control. It was as if all the panic appeared just as the door and hallway did in the house.

One Auror was seriously injured during the onslaught of the Death Eaters who were streaming out of doors and an entire floor of the house that hadn't been visible earlier. Draco Malfoy vanished in all the panic, and the Aurors were distracted from their search for the children in a desperate attempt to take out all Death Eaters who refused to surrender.

And somewhere in the back of the house, Allison and Hope were huddled together, listening to the shouts and the sounds of spells hitting the walls, terrified of the battle that was raging not too far away from them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: The Inheritor's Charm**

When the fight began in the house, Hope and Allison hid quietly in a large wardrobe upstairs on the second floor. They'd been spotted, but had managed to find a spot to find. Cleverly, when someone discovered them, Allison had something explode farther down the hall, driving the person away to investigate and allowing them to find another spot to hide. This was their third hiding spot.

The shouting and bangs were getting closer, and the girls decided it was time to move away again, else risk getting caught and/or getting hurt in the cross-fire. Hope took a deep, shaky breath and pushed the wardrobe's doors open and she and Allison clamoured out. Hope glanced at her friend, noting how tired and pale she looked.

"Are you okay?" Hope asked anxiously, her eyes locking on Allison's trembling hands and the way she seemed to trail behind Hope as they walked.

"I'm fine." Her voice was grim and she wouldn't look Hope in the eyes as she led her to the doorway. "Let's go... maybe we should hide in the attic."

Hope flinched as some kind of wood exploded somewhere downstairs. "You think this place _has_ an attic?"

"Old, creepy mansion? Yes, probably." She darted out into the hall first and Hope followed. "We haven't seen _any sign_ of Lexy. Where could she _be_?"

They passed a window and Hope paused, thinking. "Allison... there's a small green house out there. We could probably hide there for a while. "

Allison was staring at the green house hesitantly. "And Lexy?"

Hope sighed and threw her hands up. "Well, we won't be able to find her anyway with those Death Eaters downstairs duelling. We might as well keep ourselves safe until the way is clear or help gets here."

Allison bit her lip, but said, "Fine, let's just go now. I've got a plan but we need to go back to the master bedroom." They ran, staying close to the wall so as not to be seen over the banister the floor below. Due to the sheer volume of the fight, they no longer worried about being heard running around the house.

As soon as they were both inside the room, Allison went right to double glass doors that were partially covered by long red curtains and wrenched them back. Sunlight exploded into the room and both girls squinted through it, shielding their eyes at first.

Hope looked at Allison questioningly. "A balcony? Are we going to jump?"

Allison rolled her eyes. "Are you magical or not? Use the levitation charm on us and we'll climb down the side of the house."

Hope brightened. "Brilliant!" Allison opened the doors and stepped out into the morning sunlight, squinting again.

"Grab hold of the rail," Allison advised. Hope hung on with one hand and cast the charm first on Allison and then on herself. They floated up off the floor and awkwardly, using the balcony's railing to keep them from floating up and away, they manoeuvred themselves up and over the railing.

"This is so bizarre," Hope mumbled as she carefully pulled herself downwards to grab onto the siding of the house.

"You never went rock-climbing?" Allison asked, peering down at Hope curiously.

Hope chuckled. "Typical wizards and witches have limited exposure to muggle sports."

Her tone was biting and sarcastic. "Well, after this, maybe you'll re-consider."

It took them several minutes to get down to the ground as they had to move around windows and keep away from the sides of the house. The last thing they needed was to be spotted as they floated in mid-air and easy targets.

With the spell removed, they ran for the garden house and wrenched open the door. Hope gasped and Allison moaned at the growth of the plants inside; they took up a lot of room. The ones who survived looked rather dangerous as they branched out and wriggled, intruding on the space of plants that hadn't survived. Hope shut the door and stared around, looking for a spot where a vine wouldn't decide to strangle them.

"This is a nightmare!" Allison muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "If the Death Eaters don't get us, then the devil's snare in the corner just might."

"My Aunt told me about that stuff... it got her, my Uncle Ron and my dad in their first year." Allison gaped at Hope, who moved to sit in the left-hand corner of the greenhouse, far enough away from any of the deadly plants.

Allison followed slowly and slumped to the ground. "I don't think Lexy is here," she admitted miserably. "Her Dad probably locked her up somewhere else."

Hope didn't answer. She didn't want to think that this whole rescue mission had been for nothing. If she died today, it would be for nothing. And she hated to think that she put her parents through this only to wind up losing her.

She rested her head against the filthy side of the greenhouse and raised her arm to look at her scar, remembering how Ben had seen their Dad just by touching it. She half-wished Ben was here, just so he could tell her where their Mum and Dad were. She ran her fingers across her scar and closed her eyes, wishing that she had some more magic in her.

Allison was lucky to be so special; just like Ben was. Ben could count on his magic; she couldn't. Her parents had told her that the scar connected her to her father. It was a special bond forged between them when he almost died. They shared magic, because he had willed it to be hers, but now she didn't know if this was right. She didn't feel any stronger than a regular first-year student.

She felt helpless. And here she was, hiding out from the Death Eaters who were attacking the Aurors, and what good had she done? Allison was more powerful, and she'd done most to all of the spell work that allowed them to get this far.

_Stupid scar_

Hope clutched at it, her eyes still closed. _Dad, where are you? I need you..._

The sound of a door slamming in the near-distance startled them. It sounded like it came from the back. Allison and Hope tensed, trying to peer out from the mossy, fogged glass to see who was out in the yard. Allison's jaw dropped and she paled, staring in horror.

"Hope..." she whispered faintly, shaking her head. "Hope, it's _her_."

The door slammed again. "Where are you going?" Demanded a furious male voice. "We had a _deal_!"

A female voice answered, arrogant and firm. "Deal's off! I know what I want, and I'll get it. I've waited too many years for the glory that was always mine. You have no idea what I went through to earn my place in the Dark Lord's favour. I am the most talented; therefore, I'm his rightful heir!"

"He will rise again! Here's our only shot to bring him back!" Draco Malfoy shouted. "But I need her! The witch said so... just let me have her!"

"I'll get my revenge, Draco. Unfortunately for you and your little fan club it never had anything to do with bringing the Dark Lord back. I want his powers, that's all."

The voices were close now and Allison and Hope drew away from the window and crept toward the shelves of plants and edged under it carefully to hide. Allison pressed her finger to her lips as Hope accidentally knocked her head against the beam of the shelf.

"You've gone round the bend!" Draco retorted. "I thought you wanted revenge?"

"I do. And my revenge will be that I inherit _everything_." The woman sounded like she was gloating.

Draco was still livid, but he was staring at something that the woman held with wide eyes. If the greenhouse wasn't so filthy, perhaps they could see the fear in his eyes. "What in merlin's name is _that_?" They didn't need to see the fear to hear it in his voice.

"The stone of Usana!" She laughed harshly. "It was nine years ago, Draco, _don't_ beat yourself up over your losses. I stole it from the Auror's camp after they retrieved it. It's very, very rare... hand carved by the Elves themselves, and contains powerful magic to cast the Inheritor's Charm."

"A myth!" Shouted Draco, his voice going higher in pitch in his fury. "You're a traitor! His powers do not belong to you and if he's not to walk this earth, then they should remain in the grave with him."

The woman laughed again. "Whatever you say, Draco. It's been done... I've been working out the pieces for nine years. I just need one last thing... and originally, I'd need Harry Potter, the murderer of Lord Voldemort to complete this spell." She paused, probably for dramatic effect, while Allison and Hope listened on in horror.

She kept talking, puffing herself up. "But fortunately, thanks to the witch you kidnapped for me, she let slip that Harry Potter nearly died nine years ago, and he accidently stumbled upon the Inheritor's Charm. He transferred his powers to his daughter as a dying wish, only to be saved by a colleague of his. Hope Potter would be enough to activate the charm placed upon the stone."

"What?"

"It's simple, Draco. Too easy, really. The Inheritor's Charm was created by ancient Elven spell-castors and it was designed so that family magic could stay within the family. Fathers could pass their powers to their sons, and their magic would become more powerful through the generations. This stone is the product of the Inheritor's Charm. And it will make the ancient spell work even though Voldemort is gone."

"So this whole fight... you don't care which of His followers die today? They were pawns? What about my daughter? I helped you but you were going to let her die?"

"I don't care what happens to her. The rest can join me if they wish. But Lord Voldemort's legacy will live on in _me_. Something _none of you_ were brave or loyal enough to do. I'll spill every last drop of Hope Potter's blood and the spell will be complete... I'll be as powerful as Lord Voldemort!"

Hope stared at the blurry images of the people outside, too scared to cry or even breathe. She couldn't seem to process that her Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was so evil. Allison was clutching her hand, but Hope just stared out the window. She wondered where Lexy was, if she was okay, or if Professor Mellot had let her die already. She felt terribly sorry for Allison and her family. It wouldn't matter if she surrendered herself; she'd probably kill her the moment she stepped into the sunlight.

It didn't matter how many people had to die before she did; her brother, her friends, her family. The only end objective was her, and her death. She bit back the tears that stung in her eyes as she shook her head.

Unless she gave herself up first. And then maybe everyone would be able to escape. Death wasn't scary when she thought about it like this. Maybe this was what being a true Gryffindor meant? Knowing she was going to die for a good cause made her strong enough to do the right thing. She met Allison's frightened gaze.

_For my family_...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Final War **

"Drew! It's been done. The Aurors are held up." It was a new voice, followed by several newcomers. People were now flooding outside, all donned in their black cloaks. Hope and Allison watched as Drew nodded her acknowledgment to the newcomers and then move closer to Draco, her eyes dangerous.

"Say one word and it won't be Hope's blood I spill first. You can kiss your daughter goodbye."

"Drew?" Hope muttered to herself. She knew that name.

Allison closed her eyes miserably. "I can't watch this anymore, Hope," she choked out.

"What now?" A new voice asked gruffly.

"You are sure that the Aurors are held up?" Drew demanded, sounding angrier than she had a few minutes before.

"Yes. There were enough of us to duel with them and keep them busy, while the rest of us came out here to assist you." Drew seemed pleased by this and she nodded. "Good. Then my followers, you shall be among those to witness what is to come."

"Allison, she tried to kill my mother when I was a baby..." Hope breathed. Her mouth had gone dry from fear and she could barely speak.

Outside, Drew had turned her back to the greenhouse and set the object in her hand on the ground carefully. Death Eaters formed a semi-circle around the object and Drew, watching. Using her wand she did something to it to make it glow before it shot into the air, glittering pink brightly in the sky.

Drew loudly chanting in Latin, clearly a long-versed enchantment for whatever the floating object was. The Death Eaters watched, their expressions ranged from mystified, to confused, to scared, as Drew performed the spell.

There was a long moment of silence before the floating thing dulled in brightness and then an explosive beam of light shot straight toward where Hope and Allison were hidden. There wasn't any time to react or move; as soon as the light hit the greenhouse, Drew was screeching orders at the crowd of Death Eaters who drew their wands on command.

Hope and Allison screamed and flew low to the ground, covering their heads at the greenhouse shattered around them. Wood, glass, and the siding of the building exploded and fluttered to the ground and exposed them. As soon as the destruction had ceased, arms roughly tugged both Hope and Allison to their feet and dragged them out from the rubble and before their former Professor.

"Here's where you've been hiding," she said cheerfully. Hope glared up at her with hatred as she struggled helplessly against the Death Eater who restrained her.

"Well, I suppose I should introduce myself... you see, we've known each other forever." Drew said thoughtfully. "My name is Drew... I used to live with your stupid mother when you were just a little baby. I used to babysit you... I watched you grow up. I've always regretted not killing you when it would have been so easy, but good thing I didn't."

She stepped closer to her and pulled her chin up so Hope would be forced to look her in the eyes. "You should be honoured of all the good you're doing for me and for all of Lord Voldemort's followers, Hope Potter."

She took a step back with a satisfied smile and drew a small silver blade from her robes. "Hold her down. We need her blood first." Hope flinched violently and tears flooded to her eyes and blinded her.

"NO!" Hope screamed as the hands that pushed her to the ground and pinned her there. Drew reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking it out and raising the blade. Hope looked away, refusing to watch the blade come down on her.

Drew screamed suddenly, dropping the blade as she and the Death Eaters who pinned them down were thrown viciously ten feet away. Allison was breathing heavily, her dark eyes were pitch black as she pulled Hope up and they ran across the yard. Their legs screamed in protest with the effort as the grass began to get longer and the ground more uneven the farther they got from the house.

"Just keep going!" Allison exclaimed, tears burning in her eyes, closing her eyes as she ran now.

"NO!" Hope moaned as she saw that there was nowhere else to run. She clutched Allison's arm and both girls halted in horror. The property was perched atop the side of cliff, and they were now skidding to a stop in front of the edge that plummeted down into the icy waters below.

The girls whirled around as cold laughter reached them and the Death Eaters formed a semi-circle to block the girls in, Drew leading them forward in the front. They were trapped.

"What now?" Hope asked miserably, clutching her wand in her sweaty hand. Allison edged half a step backwards, her shoulders touching Hope's.

"What else?" She raised her hands up and crouched down slightly to get better footing before sending a purple bauble at the Death Eaters. One of them easily knocked it aside and cackled at the poor effort of a defense.

"Nowhere to run, no one to help you," Drew said tauntingly. "Now Hope, I'll make you a deal. Surrender yourself and we'll let your little friend go free." She smiled at Hope cruelly, the innocence of her expression made her tone sound less promising.

"You swear it?" Hope's voice quivered. Allison gasped and grabbed at her arm, shaking her head furiously.

Drew's eyes lit up at how easy she had Hope agreeing. "Sure. I'll let your friend go free if you help us."

Allison was beside herself. "Hope!" She wailed, tugging desperately on her arm. "Don't!"

Hope took a deep, shaking breath. This was the only way out; the only fair solution. It was over anyway. "Okay," Hope agreed dully. "If you don't hurt her, I'll surrender."

Drew smiled and beckoned her with her index finger. Hope turned and hugged Allison fiercely and quickly, before trudging her shaking legs forward. She'd only moved a few steps before Allison turned around with a shriek and reached toward the water below. With unbelievable force, two narrow streams of water shot high into the air from the sea below, rumbling with the force of a deathly river current. Allison's entire body shook with the effort before she lashed her arms in an x-shape and the water crashed into the Death Eater's line.

Hope stumbled backwards to avoid the water and Allison tugged her back and held her close. "Don't. Give. Up!" She pleaded, emphasizing each word as she spoke it. The water was sliding across the yard, soaking the lawn.

"_Get her!"_ Drew screamed over the chaos. Death Eaters were stumbling back to their feet, some searching frantically for their wands.

Hope flinched as bursts of red and green light shot at them, just as Allison threw up a huge arc of a shield, ricocheting the spells off of it and back at the remaining Death Eaters. It was at least five times larger than the one she'd produced at Hogwarts to defend Lexy so long ago. Hope stared at Allison in disbelief, unable to understand how she was able to do this.

Allison grit her teeth with the effort. "Hope, we need to do something! We need an escape!" She stared at the spells that repeatedly came at them. "We need _help_. _Where are the aurors?_"

Still awe-struck, Hope replied, "I don't know!" She raised her wand. She'd seen her father do this a hundred thousand times, and copied him. "Expelliarmus!" To her amazement, one of the Death Eaters' wands flew up and out of his reach. She performed this spell several times over, causing pauses in the spells barrage and giving Allison small breaks. She also managed to start small fires on their robes, and even split open a few robes. To see a Death Eater clawing at torn fabric to cover their nakedness would have brought smiles to their faces if they weren't so terrified.

Her scar was prickling as she continued to disarm the Death Eaters. She noticed that Drew had disappeared again, and that made her nervous. Where was she? What was she trying to do? The only plan she had now was to buy time until the Aurors arrived. With a glance at Allison, she wasn't sure how much longer this would work. She looked exhausted, but remained focused, her mouth in a tight line.

The morning air was suddenly getting cold and Hope glanced up as she disarmed yet another wizard, managing to knock him backwards with the force of the spell. Clouds were gathering in the sky and suddenly the sunlight disappeared behind monstrous clouds. The wind was icy as it whipped past the battle, blowing Hope's long hair in her face. She squinted, shivering, as the temperature continued to plummet.

A feeling of hopelessness swirled around her and she hugged herself as two cloaked dark figures appeared from somewhere around the house. Hope gasped, recognizing them from a picture her father had once shown her.

Allison was staring in horror, her arms quivering even more no as her wide eyes watched as the Dementors came closer. A few Death Eaters scrambled with yelps; clearly they hadn't expected this either. The Dementors fell onto the Death Eaters first, uncaring as to who they fed from as they swarmed down, their breath coming in hideous rattles.

"No!" Hope moaned, feeling defeat wash over her. She watched Allison's shield flicker and then fade. Her eyes watched as the morning dew of the grass turned to frost below their feet. And as one Death Eater froze, his back arched on the frozen grass as the creature began to suck out his soul.

That was when the screaming began.

Hope was truly afraid now that things were out of control. The Aurors were still nowhere in sight. She and Allison were just two first-year girls, exhausted and alone in a war against at least thirty Death Eaters and one woman who had clearly lost all sanity. She spotted, from a distance, the hovering pink object which still glowed under the influence of the spell. She stared at it in horror, knowing that at any moment her blood would complete the spell. And then it would be over.

Allison was backing closer to the edge of the cliff, pale and terrified looking. She was shaking her head, moaning, and muttering something that Hope couldn't hear. Hope watched her friend, praying to anyone up in the heavens above who would listen that Allison would be allowed to live.

White-hot pain seared from one end of her scar, zipping to the other like a current of electricity. The pain became so intense that Hope fell to her knees, clutching over the scar with her other hand. She gasped out in pain, her mind consumed with the sheer agony.

She felt as if she was being burned from the inside out. She peeked at the scar from under her hand; it was red and irritated. She gripped at her arm again, her body constricting as she struggled to regain control.

_Mum... Dad... I need you_!

And over three hours away, at the Ministry of Magic as Harry Potter buttoned the last button on his old Auror outfit, Harry felt his own scar start to burn. He clutched at his head, his vision blurring as he leaned up against the wall for support.

Ginny pushed open the door, and startled, cried out "Harry?" She ran to him, grasping his shoulders anxiously, but Harry couldn't see or hear her.

He was lost, staring in horror at the Dementors, and the Death Eaters. He stared at the bodies and the dark sky. And then he glanced down at the scar on his arm, and then spotted Hope's friend Allison by a cliff, hugging herself and shaking her head.

Having no control over anything, he raised his wand at the Dementors, knowing it wasn't his own. He'd experienced this before as Voldemort's snake. This time it wasn't frightening, and it was the right thing to do. He raised his wand and shouted the words he'd shouted a thousand times before.

_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Visions**

The Death Eaters kept coming. They were preventing anyone from getting farther than the front foyer of the house, but something wasn't right. No one had shot to kill yet, and you didn't have to have ever fought a Death Eater to know that something was up. After nearly an hour of the duelling, Captain Jenn Ritlann decided to report back to the Commander. This was taking too long, and she had a strong sense that there was something _else_ going on; something bigger.

She apparated back, and hurried down the hallway, not even glancing into the lounge where she knew the Potter and Weasley family were seated. She went straight to Ziles' door and without knocking opened it. Startled, the Commander stared at her sternly for her lack of etiquette, but now was not the time for formalities.

"Sir, the fight on the property has to be a distraction. _Not one_ of those Death Eaters are fighting to kill. They've rarely injured someone to unconsciousness. In fact, I watched one bloke hit a first-year auror with the tickling charm!" _Good grief, it sounds more absurd to say it aloud_.

Ziles considered this for a moment. "Has anyone been able to get down to the basement?" He asked.

"Basement? No, sir... I've had no information delivered to me. Who did you send?"

Ziles looked at her sharply, already knowing that communications had failed. "Toffet."

Ritlann swallowed hard. "Sir, he was Oone of three to be substantially injured. He's got a head injury and was transported to St. Mungo's. What of the basement, sir?"

Ziles re-capped Dominic's information to the captain who raised her eyebrows. "So if someone can get down there... more of that house will be exposed?" She was already at the door when Ziles called her back.

"Ritlann, I'm going to break protocol... and I don't want _one_ word of complaint. This is the biggest conflict we've had in nearly ten years. He's got more training and experience than you do, and although he hasn't been with us for nine years, I think it's important he goes."

"Harry Potter?" Ritlann guessed, trying to keep her voice polite, though she didn't agree with the decision at all. If he was hurt, it was a law suit waiting to happen.

"You'll work as Captains together. Divide up the teams again, I don't care. But I want the missing children recovered and the whole lot of them under arrest, do you understand, Ritlann? Have Potter dressed in proper attire." He sighed and pounded his fist on the table. "He's grown up with this Malfoy character; maybe he'll have an angle you don't. Bottom line is that if this is a Death Eater reformation than to hell with protocol."

Ritlann agreed curtly and departed to fetch Potter. She opened the door and cleared her throat, wondering if she was doing the right thing as she laid eyes on the two small children sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the Potters. Sending their father and uncle out to a fight seemed like too big of a risk.

"Ziles wishes you to join the ranks, Potter." All eyes were on Harry who got steadily to his feet without hesitation. "You're to come with me, get dressed, and we'll go." As she said it, she watched his wife's expression change drastically.

Harry nodded, thanked her and then turned slowly to Ginny and Ben. He touched her face, brushing the hair behind her ear, unsure of what to say to her. He was breaking his promise by going back out with the Aurors.

To his surprise, however, Ginny kissed him fiercely, her fingers twisting in his hair. When she pulled back she had tears in her eyes as she held his face in her hands. "Bring her back, Harry. Both of you _have_ to come back."

"I will. I love you." He kissed her once more and then kissed his sleeping son gently.

He turned to Ron and Hermione and swallowed hard. "I'll be back as soon as possible. Take care of Ginny and Ben for me." Hermione got up and threw her arms around him, but Ron stayed put, and nodded, emotion burning in his eyes.

"Come back, mate," was all he said.

"See you," Harry said as he hurried after Captain Ritlann.

"Grab the first robes you see," she instructed him. "We need to go."

He pushed open the door to the dressing room and snatched the first set of robes he spotted that would fit him. He slid his arms through the sleeves, standing in front of the mirror. He stared at himself as he adjusted the sleeves and buttoned the cufflinks. He adjusted the collar jerkily and then began buttoning himself up.

It was hard to believe that he was going back to a job after nine years, and that he was doing it to save his daughter. He knew he had to, and this was what he wanted to do. He hated that he was forced to put his daughter's life in another's hands, but at the same time, by going, he was leaving behind his wife and son, not knowing if he'd make it out.

He pushed the first of the last three buttons through its hoop, wincing at the headache that suddenly hit him. His fingers had finished the second last button in place when he realized that it wasn't a headache, but pain he hadn't felt in nearly ten years. It was more of a burning sensation in his scar. But... that would mean...

The pain hit him harder and he gasped out, falling against the wall for support. He'd never felt anything like this. The pain in his scar was explosive now and it blinded him. He closed his eyes, desperately clinging to the reality that his daughter _needed_ him and he had to move past this and go.

The door opened somewhere behind him, but he had no idea which way was up or down. His vision was bleary and starting to blacken. Someone called his name worriedly, but he was fading, and he knew what would happen next.

"Harry?" He recognized Ginny's voice, stricken with worry. Her hands were on his shoulders, gripping them tightly, trying to call him back to consciousness. But it was too late for that; he was already gone from the dressing room, his vision blackening until his eyesight adjusted once more.

It was cold and windy here. Where was he? The sky was dark with miserable clouds that hung over the gloomy sight with the promise of evil. Thunder cracked overhead, but no lightning. A sudden chill ran down his spine and that was when he saw the Dementors swirling. There was only two, but their presence was so forceful that there could have been one hundred. They were ravenous over the panic, chaos and the powerful emotions of those present.

Several were already lying on the ground, unconscious. His eyes shifted away from the still bodies on the icy grass and again to the sky, noticing how the weather was dooming the earth from the heavens. He noticed the back of the giant house in the distance, and how there seemed to be more noise and chaos coming from there too.

He re-orientated himself with the memory of the pain on his arm and his eyes took in the furious red jagged marking of his daughter's scar. The realization startled him as he turned to find his daughter's friend and the other missing child, Allison. She was standing closer to the edge of the property, where it dropped and disappeared like the edge of the earth. She was crying and hugging herself, shaking her head as if trying to tell herself that this wasn't real.

He knew something had to be done, and it started with the Dementors. The Aurors would break through any second now that they had Dominic's information. He eyed them and the way their tattered and sinister robes belled out as they hovered over their victims.

He raised his wand, which was Hope's wand. He had to help, to save her, before it was too late. With his wand raised, and the happy memories of his family, and seeing Ginny and Ben again, he took a step forward despite the aching of his muscles and the pain from the scar on his arm.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The white stag shot from the tip of his wand and cantered at the nearest Dementor. It turned mid-air and chased after the second. His vision blackened again and he became aware of himself as he slid to the floor. He blinked several times, trying to re-orientate himself. He finally found himself staring into his wife's face.

"Ginny?" He choked out, his breathing uneven and the loudest thing in the room.

She nodded and threw her arms around him. "What happened to you? You were having a fit against the wall... and then you..." she glanced at his still out-stretched arm. "You tried to cast a Patronus charm, but nothing happened." She frowned and kissed his forehead.

Harry stared at her for a moment and then got shakily to his feet with Ginny's help. He noticed Captain Ritlann standing by the door, looking anxious and irritated at the same time. He found his voice. "We've got to go now. They're fighting... the two girls... there's dementors. But your Aurors can't see anything yet. They're helpless until those wards are taken down."

Ritlann gaped at him for a moment, hesitation dominating her face as she determined whether or not to believe him or write this off as a hallucination. "You're wasting time. GO!" Harry shouted at her. "I'll follow you."

She left then, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. She held his hands in hers. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine. I just need to get there. Now."

Ginny seemed to deliberate over her next question, her face pained. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"I was... her." Harry frowned. "Like I used be with Voldemort." He shook his head and squeezed her hands. "I've got to go."

He pushed through the door, practically running for the disapparation point, leaving Ginny standing there, her hands stinging from Harry having ripped them from hers so suddenly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: True Alliances**

A/N: _I would just like to offer fair warning that this chapter contains some violent/graphic content that some readers may find disturbing._

Harry appeared on the front lawn of the Malfoy house and his jaw dropped at the scene before him. The grass had been singed in several areas, the bushes trampled, and while spells flew every which way, no one lay on the ground injured or otherwise. He hadn't been standing there for longer than ten seconds before a cloaked Death Eater turned his wand on Harry.

"Auror!" The man rumbled, sending a jinx at him, which Harry dodged easily, confused as to how weak the Death Eater's offensive attack had been.

As he duelled with the Death Eater, he spotted Ritlann on the front porch, knocking three men out of her way at once and then disappearing inside. Feeling a burst of confidence that he'd get to Hope soon, he finished off the Death Eater in front of him, managing to disarm him and bind him for arrest.

Another Death Eater took his place and the duelling continued. Harry wasn't sure if it was his anxiety or weakness from connecting with Hope, but he didn't feel himself at all. He felt a little shaky and distracted, and it worried him. He needed to be at his best if he was going to help his daughter and the Aurors.

It seemed like hours while he waited for Ritlann to get downstairs. He wasn't even sure if there would be a sign to tell him that the wards were down and Hope and the real issue would be accessible to everyone else. He had one eye on the house and one eye kept on the Death Eater whom he was duelling with. After a few minutes of this, he silently cursed himself again. He was far too distracted.

And then, at long last, red sparks shot up into the sky, almost invisible in the morning sky. Harry moved fast, stunning the Death Eater and making a break for the house. Several other Aurors followed, shooting curses over their shoulders as they ran, while others stayed behind to finish off the few Death Eaters who remained out front. Even if the Death Eaters weren't firing spells to directly harm, the Aurors were plenty more willing at this point.

Harry ran through the front foyer, looking around, before he spotted a narrow hallway leading toward the back of the house. With each step, he became more desperate to get outside. He could only hope that Hope was alright.

...

Drew watched as the red warning sparks exploded into the blue sky above her and she hoped that the idiots out front had seen them. She would need more numbers out back if they were to succeed now that the wards were down. And even more frightening, she feared that she didn't have much time left before Harry Potter would probably show up, livid and craving revenge just as much as she did.

Drew could hear them in the house behind her, duelling, running about like confused children as they wound through the maze of rooms to the only back door that would take them out to the yard. She wasn't sure if any would give up and blast the fences around the house and walk in from the side, and didn't want to think about it.

Time was up and Draco was nowhere to be found. He'd run off shortly after the fighting had began, and she wouldn't put it past him to hide until the fighting was over and claim innocence. _Traitor_.

"ENOUGH!" Drew screeched, striding across the lawn. The Death Eaters paused and stepped aside as their leader made her way through. She raised her own wand and pointed it at Allison and Hope who stood frozen behind their pathetic arc of a shield.

With one powerful explosive spell, Allison's shield faltered and Allison herself collapsed to the ground with a startled "oh!" Hope didn't have time to exhale before Drew had grabbed her with an iron grip and tossed her viciously under the floating pink stone.

Hope looked up at it and noticed for the first time how smooth and perfectly shaped it was; like a giant pink gem. She cried out as she felt a knife pierce her shoulder, sliding along the back of her arm to her elbow. She felt her blood pulsing and the warm blood ooze from the impossibly long cut. Only then she could see the shadow of her blood smeared on it, and with Drew standing over her, and the gem glowing ominously above her, fear replaced her awe.

Next, Drew grabbed at her opposite, scarred arm and raised it up so that the scar pointed at the gem. The forced twisting of her arm and body hurt as much as the long laceration as she let out a frustrated cry and tried to struggle free to no avail. Suddenly, the gem turned red and began to melt, evaporating into a blood-red mist. None of it touched her, only fell like dust toward her and then in its own gust of wind, blew towards Drew. It was like a scene from that muggle movie Pocahontas, but instead of colourful leaves swirling, it was blood-red sparkling dust.

It was then that a new pain erupted; different from the cut. Drew's grip slackened and then tore away, but her arm stayed frozen in place in the air; scar up. Hope closed her eyes, afraid to scream out and give Drew the satisfaction of it. Every muscle in her body contracted and screamed out in agony. She stared in horror at her former Professor who seemed in a trance, her body rigid and her back arched as the mist began to grow quickly, expanding to encompass them both. It swirled faster and faster, and as the mist grew thicker, Hope felt weaker and weaker.

Hope choked out a sob, her vision blurry. She wasn't even sure how she was aware of yet more pain, but her eyes flew back to her scar and she screamed in protest. The skin there became very tight and hot; it burned like someone was pressing a red-hot iron to her skin. And then suddenly, she was forced to watch as the inflamed scar issue began to tear on one end. It ripped as if someone were tracing her scar with a knife or as if it'd merely been stitched up. She turned her eyes away, unwilling to watch as it tore open and she bled into the strange mist, nor did she want to look at Drew who was quivering, her eyes upturned.

She understood then that _this _was how she would die, and as her body began to feel dizzy from the blood loss, she rested her head on the cool grass. The dew felt nice against her face and she inhaled the sweet scent of it as disorientation settled over her, and the world slipped away.

...

Harry called out to the other Aurors in exasperated relief as he spotted the back door. He broke out into a full run, raised his wand and blew the door to bits. Aurors stumbled outside behind Harry, each of them gazing out in horror at the scene before them. The eyes of thirty to forty Death Eaters were on them as they turned from their distraction: a giant red cloud that encompassed a woman and a still form on the ground.

"HOPE!" Harry screamed, forcing his shaking legs to move. He started attacking the Death Eaters with any spell that came to his mind. He didn't care who he hurt or who he killed. All that mattered was his daughter trapped in the strange mist, and that she wasn't moving.

He was only half-aware of the number of Aurors who were apparating into the back yard, and those still coming out of the house. He had managed to get close enough to the mist now and had no idea what to do.

"Hope," he moaned, clawing at the mist that was as substantial as a brick wall.

"Potter," hissed the woman in the mist. Harry felt his chest tighten as he recognized her. Her hair was longer, a different colour, and her eyes burned a terrifying colour red, the same as the mist. Her face looked contorted; her nose sinking into her face in a vague familiarity.

Harry recognized her and his blood ran cold. "Drew," he practically hissed her name. "Let her go!" Harry snarled. "She's just a little girl!" He was desperate to hold her, to make sure she was still alive.

It made him sick to look at her like this. He hated how she was lying on the ground but her arm was twisted up in the air. He hated Drew for doing this to his family. He could see her robes were soaked with blood, and he wasn't sure, but it looked as if her raised arm had dislocated from its socket from the angle.

"She's the key," Drew whispered in a deranged voice. "With her death comesssss my reward."

The curse was out of his mouth before he could think about it. "CRUCIO!"

Drew screamed out in pain, but she was able to throw it off. The mist was thinning, and her eyes were becoming more vividly red. An icy wind swept across the property and her hair and robes billowed in it. Harry was caught off-guard for a moment as he stared at her; he was so exhausted. His knees shook, threatening to give out but he held his ground. He also felt delirious as he glowered at her; he could definitely see features of Lord Voldemort staring back at him. But how was that possible?

The mist was much thinner now, and Drew sank to the heels of her feet. "You'll die first! Avada Kedavra!"

Harry dodged it minutely, and threw his own spell back in retaliation in a flash of golden light. An Auror stepped up to help Harry, but two Death Eaters collapsed in on the Auror, and used the Cruciatus curse. The fighting broke out once more, this time with flashes of green light fused in with the other curses and jinxes as Aurors and Death Eaters duelled.

"Stupefy!" His stunning curse was wiped away easily and Harry ground his teeth, disapparating out of the way of another killing curse- a helpful trick he'd learned as an Auror. He re-appeared behind her, a curse halfway out of his mouth when she whirled around with inhuman speed and slashed her wand at him.

Two things happened at once. Harry was thrown ten feet away across the lawn and his back burned with a terrible pain. With one touch, he knew he was bleeding badly; the blood soaking into his robes at an alarming rate.

He got back to his feet, ignoring his body's agonizing protests as he tried again to stun her, disarm her or knock her out, but nothing worked. She was too fast, and he was distracted by Hope again. Her arm had fallen to the grass, hiding her face. He could see the blood trickling down her wrist from here and it infuriated him further.

"The spell is nearly complete, Potter. I'm sure you can feel it too. Of course, it hasn't taken nearly the same amount of life out of you as it has on your precious daughter."

He faced Drew, his body shaking both from the effort it took him to stand up and raise his wand, and from his anger. He opened his mouth, ready to end this here and now, but the words hadn't made it out of his mouth before there was a bright green flash and Drew's eyes widened in surprise, swaying on the spot. There was a silent puff of red mist which cascaded into the air and then evaporated.

It took all of three seconds for her to collapse to the grass, and for Harry to face a person he'd never expect to save his life.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: An New Old Rival**

Of all the things Harry wanted to say, he couldn't seem to form a logical response to what he had just witnessed. He stood there, frozen with shock as Drew's lifeless body hit the ground and he hadn't even been the one to end her life. He then watched as he turned to the Death Eaters who were all staring, mostly in cold fury and angry confusion, and spoke to them.

The wizard opposite him slid his wand back into his pocket and eyed the surrounding Death Eaters cautiously. "She was lying to us all. That magic was for _her _benefit. It would collect the powers of a deceased wizard for one's own use once she successfully spilled the blood of the one who murdered the deceased wizard. Because of the magic bonded between the girl and her father, Potter wasn't needed. All she wanted was to live on in Voldemort's legacy."

Several Death Eaters swarmed around him, all looking unsure of who to believe. "How do we know you're not lying to us, _Malfoy_?"

Draco stared back at them with a dull expression. "Believe what you want... that stone would have robbed Voldemort of his powers and she would have used them herself. She wanted all of you to keep her safe until she got what she wanted. She didn't care who ended up dead just as long as she ended up on top."

"What noble actions," sneered another Death Eater. "I think _you're _the traitor. She was going to bring Him _back!_"

Draco shrugged; his face impassive. Suddenly the Aurors jumped to life and Death Eaters were being arrested left, right and center. Harry spotted Ritlann giving the orders some twenty feet away and she nodded at him, her expression was relieved. As much as he wanted to speak with Malfoy, Hope was most important right now and he rushed over to her. He threw himself on the ground beside her, his hands shaking as he checked her.

He gently touched her cheek, his stomach churning at how cold she felt. He shifted her neck up and fumbled until he found a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he tapped his wand to the back of her arm first. Bandages wound around the long laceration which was still oozing blood. He then tapped his wand to her scar, and more bandages covered that, too. Thankful that he still remembered his basic first aid training from when he was an Auror, he quickly checked for any head or spinal injuries, but found nothing. She was just unconscious and suffering severe blood-loss.

"Enervate," he breathed, tapping his wand to her head.

Hope's eyelids flickered before she slowly opened her eyes, wincing as she did. She locked eyes with Harry and realization caused a well of tears to spring up into her eyes. Harry smiled at her and helped her to a sitting position. She felt very weak in his arms and seemed to sag against him.

"You came!" Hope gushed in a whisper, throwing herself into her father's arms. He hugged her tightly, gently rubbing her back.

"Of course I did. I'm so sorry, angel. I came as fast I could." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "do you feel?"

Hope touched the bandages on both of her arms and grimaced but nodded. "I'm fine." She jerked and peered over her shoulder, spotting Allison who was still unconscious. "Dad, Allison is really hurt. She kept us alive..."

Harry called over to the nearest Auror, and pointed out Allison, insisting that someone get her on a stretcher and take her to St. Mungo's immediately. Hope wiped the blood off her hand on her robes and got slowly to her feet, her knees trembling.

"Can we go home, Dad?" She asked, bracing herself with her father's help.

"We need to get you checked out first, angel." He started to lead her forward, careful not to touch her injuries.

"Do you think I'll be less magical?" Hope asked suddenly, her brow creased with worry.

Harry was debating his answer when a handcuffed Draco Malfoy answered in a quiet voice, his eyes downcast. "You should be exactly the same as you were before. The spell was reversed when I killed her."

Hope looked satisfied with this answer, but refused to look Draco Malfoy in the eye. She turned her gaze to Allison and watched as her friend was carefully placed on a stretcher and covered with a blanket upt to her shoulders. Harry placed his hands on Hope's shoulders as they stood on the grass, eyeing Draco with something he'd never quite felt for him before.

"Thank you," Harry told him sincerely, truly meaning the words. "You saved her life."

Draco regarded Harry for a long moment, his mouth in a firm line before he shrugged very slightly. "It was almost Alexandria..."

"Where is Lexy?" Hope suddenly demanded anxiously. "Is she hurt?"

Draco's black eyes moved to Hope's face. "She's safe. I took her away when Drew tried to-" he broke off in irritation. "I had to save her. She's with her mother."

"I'm glad she's okay," Hope sighed, swaying slightly on her feet. Harry braced her anxiously and then nodded to Draco.

"I'll be in touch." He guided Hope forward and stopped a few feet away to pause when Draco called out to him.

"I'll go to trial and Azkaban, Potter. I don't need any favours." Harry nearly smiled at the arrogance he'd always known Malfoy to convey.

"You'll go to trial," Harry told him, keeping his tone clipped. "But your actions will affect the sentence, I'm sorry to say. Playing the good guy for once in your life has changed that fate for you."

With his hands still on Hope, he continued across the yard to Ritlann who handed them one of the portkeys used for Aurors assisting someone back to the Ministry. He could have used side-along apparition, but he didn't think Hope was up for the sensation of it. She could barely stand on her own, let alone stand the nauseating feeling of apparition.

The portkey pulled them away almost instantaneously, dragging to a tiny room that could have been a closet. Harry hadn't been here many times, but this was the portkey reception room at St. Mungo's; a relatively new addition that let the Aurors bring either victims or charged persons for treatment before taking them elsewhere. It kept them out of public eye, which was nice, especially when dealing with Death Eaters ten years ago.

"Are we at St. Mungo's?" Hope asked Harry glumly, as he pulled the door open for her and guided her through it.

"Yes, but we hopefully won't be here too long. As soon as I get you checked in, I'm going to call Mum."

Hope seemed to be calculating her mother's reaction as she walked. "Is Ben alright?" She asked after a moment, looking up at him.

Harry smiled in reassurance. "He's fine. He just wants his sister back."

They strode up to the front desk and the young receptionist smiled in welcome, her cheeks colouring as she recognized Harry. "Hello," she greeted pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"

Harry grimaced at her perky tone and the way she was looking at him, but decided to ignore it. "Captain Ziles of the Aurors has probably informed you of incoming patients. This is my daughter, Hope. We'd like to see someone immediately."

The woman nodded, biting her bottom lip and fumbled for a clipboard and a quill. "Why don't you get started on this while I show Hope to a consult room." Harry nodded and the woman hurried away to a back room.

Hope leaned up against the counter, gripping it tightly. Harry watched her from the corner of his eye, afraid that she might pass out on him. He hated how tired and worn she looked; he hated the blood-stained bandages, and how she seemed so frail and tiny. The receptionist returned with a smile and gestured to a male healer who emerged behind her.

"If you'll follow Christopher, he'll escort you, Miss Potter."

Harry murmured his thanks and followed Hope and the healer down a few short halls before arriving in a small white room with a single bed. Counters and cupboards lined most of the walls, except for the back, which was a large window, covered by heavy blue drapes.

"Have a seat, Miss Potter," Christopher said politely. Harry watched as Hope sat and then returned to her admission forms, hurriedly filling in her information. The healer was halfway through his examination of her vitals when he'd finished. He watched as the healer carefully removed her bandaging and quickly healed up the long laceration first. The injury of the scar he pondered over for a long moment.

"Scarred tissue is normally hard to heal," he told Hope gently. "I'll put some ointment on it, which should help to close it, but because this is a magical injury, you'll have to wait for it to heal on its own."

"Due to the rarity of the magic used, it can be hard to tell how much effort we will have to put into making sure this heals again. Most magical scars, like your dad's heal on their own time. But yours is really cool because it's an image of your fathers, and yet it's entirely yours and you can see it and touch it." He tossed the swab out and then went to fetch a new bandage.

"We'll have to check on this again in four to five days. Just keep it clean and wrapped up at home, alright?" Hope nodded shyly at the healer.

He then asked her about what happened, as well as several questions about how she felt. Hope told him that she felt sick to her stomach, weak, a little dizzy, sleepy. He turned to Harry, recommending lots of bed rest and fluids.

"Anything else bothering you, Miss Potter?" He asked politely. Hope shook her head no and the healer smiled and went to the cupboard to fetch some tubing.

"Lay back on the bed, now and just relax. Because you've lost so much blood, we're going to do a simple muggle treatment called a transfusion. It'll give you back the blood your system lost." Hope looked over at Harry with a pleading expression for help.

"Hope, we need to do this. You need to get well." Christopher nodded at Harry's advice and stepped out of the room to get a nurse. "I'm going to use the Floo Network down the hall to tell Mum that you're safe."

"Hurry back," Hope whispered, dropping her gaze to her lap.

Five minutes later, Christopher had inserted an IV which Hope didn't like at all. Harry came back into the room with Ginny on his heels just as Christopher was setting up the blood drip. Ginny rushed over to her daughter and hugged her tightly, careful of the tubing.

"Sweetheart, I was so worried. How are you?" Ginny whispered, tears falling down her face in relief.

"I'm okay, Mum. Just tired and a little sore," she said grimly, eyeing the IV with distaste.

"Don't look at it," Harry suggested calmly, squeezing her hand.

"Mr. Potter, you're bleeding through your shirt!" Christopher exclaimed suddenly from behind Harry, startling Hope and Ginny.

Harry chuckled darkly, the humour not reaching his eyes. Ginny was staring at him, wide-eyed. Christopher gently pulled up his shirt and healed it within seconds. Hope winced at the healer's expression and turned her head away. There was too much blood out in the open right now for her to deal with.

"I didn't know you were hurt too, Dad," Hope said sadly.

Harry shrugged. "I forgot about it, actually. I just wanted to make sure that I got you home safe." Christopher was hurrying over to get some special ointment to heal the large gash across his back while Harry reached over and took Hope's free hand. "I'm just happy you're alive and you're okay, Hope. Nothing else mattered."

Hope's eyes were filled with unshed tears and the corners of her lips tilted upwards into a grin. "I'll be much better once this needle is out of my arm, though."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Home Again**

Ginny cleared Ben's plate off the table and set it in the sink. She eyed her daughter's half-full cup of juice in front of her empty plate. "Hope, finish your orange juice, please."

Hope rolled her eyes as she reluctantly drained the juice too. "Mum, I'm stuffed. If I put anything else in my stomach, I'll throw it back up again."

Hope had been home since two p.m. and after a long nap, Ginny had been force-feeding her anything would eat. Harry smiled at Hope, who excused herself from the table now that she was finished. He stood up and collected her plate and the last few pieces of cutlery on the table. He watched Ginny wearily as she began to fill the sink with water.

"She's looking better," he reassured her for the fourth time today. Harry wasn't lying; especially after putting her to bed with a mild sleeping potion, Hope had looked a lot better after sleeping. Now that she'd eaten and drank glass after glass of water and juices, she had colour in her face.

Ginny glanced at him and nodded. Harry knew she was upset with him that he hadn't told her sooner that he had Hope with him. He had explained that if their visit to St. Mungo's had actually been prolonged, he would have told her, but Ginny was beyond anxious.

She began scrubbing plates silently, her mouth in a firm line. Harry grabbed a towel and dried every plate that she handed him. He knew she was just scared after nearly losing both of her children, but he wished that there was something he could do to help her.

"Harry, stop looking at me like that," she finally said, glancing at him with an exasperated look.

"Like what?"

"You're analyzing me," she accused, handing him a glass. "It's irritating."

"Sorry." She heaved a sigh and dried her hands on his dish towel. Harry set the glass down and wrapped his arms around her as she hugged him.

"Sorry for being short with you," she murmured into his neck, pressing a kiss to the skin there.

"It's understandable."

She looked up at him. "I'll just need a little time to calm down... those kids are going to think I'm a tyrant for the next few weeks." Her lips tugged upwards into a small smile at her own over-bearing urges to protect her kids.

Harry released her. "They know you love them. And I'm sure they'll understand. It's not like I'm all that calm. If you knew how many more protection wards have gone over this house... any muggle driving by will lose their cellular phone connection within a fifteen kilometre radius of this house."

Ginny smiled slightly and then turned back to the sink.

"Harry, what will happen to Draco?" She asked, returning to the dishes, keeping her eyes on the glass she was scrubbing.

Harry hesitated, keeping his voice low in case the kids were within earshot. "I'm not sure."

He had told her everything that had happened the moment that Hope and Ben were put to bed for a nap. Ginny had been just as surprised as Harry to hear what Draco had done for Hope, for their family.

"I feel bad... because it _sounds_ like he's taken a secret liking to the idea of fatherhood."

"It does, doesn't it? He wasn't even rude to Hope."

Ginny shook her head in disbelief. "Funny how some people turn out. He was still involved in the whole insane plot... but a lifetime in Azkaban after killing Drew and then saving Hope?"

"We'll find out tomorrow," he said heavily.. "Hopefully they see the change in Draco. And Lexy is a good kid; maybe she brought it out in him."

Silence fell between them again as they continued the dishes. This was their tradition, and it was calming to do the dishes the muggle way.

"Harry?" Ginny finally said, her voice soft with hesitation. "Why did she do it?"

Harry knew she was talking about Drew. It truly disturbed her how her former roommate and best friend could turn out to be such a monster. While Drew _had_ kidnapped her on their honeymoon and Ginny knew how evil she really was, something like this was difficult to accept. Ginny felt much more offended by the fact that her former friend had kidnapped and hurt her kids than she had after surviving her own kidnapping.

"I'm not sure," he admitted quietly. "Power, I suppose. She believed she had a chance to inherit the powers of Voldemort. She must have been obsessed with being that powerful."

"Do you believe that that was possible?" Ginny asked curiously, handing him three forks and a spoon for drying.

"That stone, the stone of Usana... that was what it was _supposed to_ do, according to an old legend. Who knows if it actually works or not?"

"Strange how we're born into a world of witches and wizards, and we've got magic potions and spells. And yet, there are these rare forms of magic that we have no control over, or we know nothing about them. Like Hope's friend Allison, or that stone, or yours or Hope's lightning bolt scar." She drained the water from the sink and handed Harry the last spoon.

Harry finished and went to hang up the dish towel before cupping her face and kissing her warmly on the mouth. "By this point, I'm willing to wager that the muggles have it easier without the potions and the spells."

Ginny smiled and shrugged. "You're probably right..." They paused at the sound of laugher from upstairs and they grinned at the stairs and then at each other.

"Mind you, today I don't think I'd trade in," Ginny mused, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. The blissful feeling of wholeness enveloped them both in spite of the upcoming trial and all the terrible heart-wrenching pain they'd endured. Before she could pull back, Harry deepened the kiss enthusiastically. Ginny smiled against his mouth, her heart pounding out a jagged rhythm against her chest.

...

Hope turned the page of the new Quidditch book that Grandma and Grandpa had dropped off this afternoon as a welcome home present. Ben sat next to his sister, listening intently as Hope read the pages out-loud, smiling at his excitement over the pictures.

"I wish Daddy were in this book," Ben told her wishfully. "I like it when Daddy flies around in the pictures."

"You've already got a few books with Dad in them," Hope reminded him. "You've also got the real Dad downstairs."

Ben looked at his sister sadly. "Yeah, but Mummy won't let me fly with him because last time he did a Wronski Feint and three loopy-loops."

Hope laughed. "Yeah, I wasn't allowed any 'loopy-loops' until I was much bigger."

Ben grinned, puffing himself up. "When I'm big, I'll do one million and two loopy-loops all by myself."

They looked at the pictures on the page for a long minute before Ben looked up at his sister, his expression more serious. He tapped her arm with his finger gently just below the bandages.

"Hope, does your scar still hurt?"

Startled, she regarded her brother curiously. "No, not right now, why?"

Ben looked troubled. "Because I don't want to be the only weird kid. The healer told me I was a special kid because I can dream up the future. But I don't want to be a freak."

Hope pondered his question, slightly bemused by how her little five-year-old brother could think up concerns much older than him. "Just because we're different, doesn't make us freaks, Ben. We're lucky."

At that moment, she remembered that Allison was at St. Mungo's and a wave of guilt washed over her. Allison had saved her life, and she owed it to her friend to be with her right now. She gave her brother one last hug and went downstairs to talk to her parents about taking her to visit her friend. It seemed selfish for her to sit at home happily when she had no idea how Allison was, or even where Lexy was.

She skipped down the stairs and found her parents sitting closer together at the table. Her father had his arms around her mother and he was murmuring something to her. Ginny wore a small smile on her face as she leaned into Harry, looking content for the first time in a very long time. It warmed Hope's heart to see her parents happy like this; she couldn't remember the last time that her family felt like a happy family.

"Mum? Dad?" They both glanced up at her as she stepped into the dining room. "Could one of you take me to St. Mungo's? I'd like to see if Allison is alright."

Her mother stood up, nodding. "Sure. Go put your jumper on, and we'll go." Hope thanked her and hurried back upstairs get one, her fingers crossed on her right hand that her friend was okay.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Picking Up the Pieces **

Ginny spoke with the receptionist and got Allison's room number to lead Hope to her friend's room. Hope was silent as they walked down the busy corridors, passing numerous ill witches and wizards shyly. As she passed all those less fortunate than her, she thanked her guardian angel that she was alive and healthy at that moment. It was strange to think that less than twenty-four hours ago, a madwoman had tried to kill her.

"This is it," her mother told her, stopping outside the door. "I'll be waiting down the hall in the lounge, okay? Come find me, when you're done visiting." Ginny laid a hand gently on her back and then departed.

"Thanks, Mum." Hope was grateful that her mother was letting her have time with Allison alone. She wasn't sure if her mother would be able to stand her talking about the terrible things that she and Allison had seen.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door to find herself in a room with two beds. On the nearest one was Allison, with a woman that Hope recognized as Allison's mother. They both looked over, startled to hear the door open. As Hope edged tentatively in, she watched Allison's face light up.

"Hey!" She called out in a weak voice.

Hope smiled back, glad to feel welcome. "Hey... how are you?"

She came to the other side of the bed. Allison was lying propped up against her pillows, her face still ghostly pale. She wore a purple hospital gown and her curls were messy and sprawled out behind her head like a halo.

She shrugged her limp shoulders ever so slightly, and smiled weakly. "I'm tired. They say I'll have to stay here for a few days. They make me drink this awful potion twice a day, but other than that, it's not too bad."

Hope swallowed the lump in her throat. How was this fair that Allison was so hurt when Hope was walking up and about? After all, wasn't it her fault that Allison was even in here? "What did they say was wrong with you?"

It was Allison's mother who answered in a soothing tone, stroking her daughter's hand. "When a witch uses great amounts of energy to do powerful spells it hurts them. Because of the way she does magic combined with the spells she did and her age, she just needs some time to get well again."

Hope looked at her, noticing that she had the same shiny, tight ringlets that Allison had, except that her hair was much longer. Her mother had olive-skin colour and green-eyes, which weren't as prominent as Allison's dark ones. She was dressed in a grey muggle business suit with a white blouse underneath. On her feet, she wore expensive-looking shoes, and Hope noticed that her nails were manicured into perfect French tips.

Fresh guilt welled up inside her. "I'm so sorry that you're hurt, Allison."

Allison frowned and shook her head. "Hope, it wasn't your fault. I wanted to come... I had to come."

Hope caught Allison's mother's expression out of the corner of the eye and it looked like she thoroughly disagreed with her daughter. Allison continued before Hope could say anything, her voice soft with emotion. "And anyway... you're one of the first people that actually understood me. You're one of my best friends. I would do anything to help you."

"You're my best friend too," Hope whispered back. "I'm still really sorry."

Allison touched her arm reassuringly. "It's partly because of the way I do magic. Something like this wouldn't happen easily to someone who can use a wand. My powers can be... explosive. I _told_ you I needed to learn to control them."

Hope smiled shyly back. "Well... maybe, but you know what? Out of all the magic in the world that I've seen... I've never seen _anything_ as cool as watching you manipulate water and creating two rivers in mid-air."

Allison laughed. "Just wait until I can do that with fire. I'm going to be like a dragon one day." She sobered slightly. "Have you seen Lexy yet? And what about Dom? And Ben?"

"Ben is fine... he's a little anxious and paranoid after the whole thing, but that's to be expected. Dominic is fine, but I haven't seen him personally. And I haven't seen Lexy, have you?"

Allison shook her head. "I really hope she's okay."

The door opened again. "I really think that Lexy is okay." The sound of the voice made both Allison and Hope jump and they turned their heads, gaping at the sight of Lexy, and behind her, her mother. Allison's mother moved to go and speak with Lexy's mother, but Hope sensed that she was doing it just to give them some privacy.

Lexy came around the bed and hugged Hope first, and then carefully bent to hug Allison. She was dressed in red robes, and her hair was brushed neatly into a long ponytail.

"What _happened to you_?" Allison demanded worriedly. "Hope and I had no idea where you got to."

Lexy pursued her lips. "Yeah... Draco found me and hid me."

Hope, of course, already knew this, but Allison had been unconscious at the time. She looked shocked and horrified by the idea. Lexy assessed her expression and then shook her head quickly.

"No, he saved me." Lexy hesitated. "It's strange... he was... still mean, but he wanted to help me. He wanted to get me out of there."

"What happened?" Hope asked impatiently.

Lexy perched herself on the edge of the bed and Hope hurried to sit in the guest chair and waited for her to begin. She heaved a sigh and began her story.

"After we were kidnapped... I was the last to be carried off. They were going to leave me with Allison and Dom, but one of them realized who I was and dragged me off to my own little dungeon. They figured my Dad would probably want to deal with me himself. That woman, Drew, came in, and used the Cruciatus curse on me a few times for trespassing."

"Draco showed up pretty fast... and just stared at me through the bars. I felt really scared, because he was staring at me like I was a ghost. He swore, and then went to talk to some other Death Eater. I don't know how much time went by before he came back... but when I woke up, I heard a lot of banging and fighting going on upstairs. Then he was there. He asked me where you were, and I said I didn't know."

Lexy cringed at the memory. "He wanted to know why we were here, and I told him to find your brother. Then he left again. And I was sitting in this little dungeon all by myself in the dark, listening to the banging and all the shouting. I was scared that the house might collapse with all the noises..."

"Then he was back again, and by the look on his face, I think he was scared. He didn't say anything... one moment I was leaning up against the wall, and the next he was there, and he was blasting the door open. He grabbed my arm, and pulled me out. I struggled, but he was too strong for me. He threw me over his shoulder and I don't know which we way we went, but then we were in somewhere else in the house. I asked him where we were going, but he wouldn't answer me."

Allison and Hope were listening intently, watching Lexy who was staring at her lap, trying to concentrate on her story as she told it.

"Finally, he set me down in the attic, and he pulled out his wand and summoned a broom. He told me to get on, and I froze." She swallowed hard.

"_If you want to get out of here alive, you'll do what I say," _She repeated Draco's word in a harsh tone.

"So I asked him if he was saving me. And then I asked why he would do that for me. He looked crazy again... his eyes were all wide, and he wouldn't look at me. Then he finally says, '_Because you're a Malfoy... and I can't let her spill Malfoy blood for her own purposes. She's betrayed us all._ She'll kill you, your friends and the rest of us.'"

"She?" Allison prompted, confusedly.

"Drew, ," Hope interjected dully. "So then what happened?"

Lexy finally look up and shrugged. "I believed him, and I got on the broom. Really, what was the worst that was going to happen? Staying I was risking my life... Leaving was risking my life, and I knew for a fact that staying would kill me. So I took my chances that he was telling the truth. And he flew me home to my mother's house. I've been there ever since."

"He didn't say anything else?" Allison probed gently, carefully propping herself up higher in her bed.

Lexy bit her lip and shook her head. "He was a little... rough with me, and he wasn't _nice_ when he spoke to me... but he saved me. And when he dropped me off, he touched my shoulder softly to say goodbye. Then he just flew off again."

"Weird," Hope muttered, folding her arms. "I always thought he was a bad guy."

"Maybe even the bad guys have some good in them," Allison suggested hopefully. "He didn't want you hurt, Lex. That shows he's got a heart, down deep."

Lexy looked conflicted at the idea. She sighed heavily and glanced over at her mother. "Mum is going to talk to the Ministry after this, and that's why I'm dressed up. We're going to give my side of this."

Hope and Allison raised their eyebrows, but it was Allison who voiced what they were both thinking. "I thought your Mum hated him?"

Lexy smiled ruefully. "He saved my life. It was more my idea than hers. I owe it to him." Her smile fell and she added miserably, "And I don't want to see my Dad put to death... especially if there _is _something good in him after all."

Hope touched Lexy gently. "I'll talk to my Dad too. He's going to your Dad's trial."

Lexy stood. "Thanks." She patted Allison's foot under the blankets. "I'm so glad you're okay. I came here as soon as I heard where you were. Can we talk later? I want to know what I missed."

Hope and Allison exchanged looks and they both laughed darkly. "Well, it's not really a happy story," Allison replied slowly. "Maybe we could wait until I'm out of St. Mungo's?"

"Yeah, that isn't something I'm quite ready to re-live just yet," agreed Hope.

Lexy gave them both final hugs. "I've got to go, Mum had to make an appointment to talk to the Aurors."

They said their goodbyes and Allison yawned sleepily. Her mother walked slowly back over and adjusted Allison's blankets. Hope took the hint and told her that Allison that she'd better go too. Allison smiled at Hope and waved.

"Thanks for visiting!" Allison's sincerity rang in her voice.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Of course I had to visit. You saved my life..."

"We're best friends, Hope. Who else is going to save your sorry butt?" She laughed at her own joke. "You know, I've heard stories about your Dad. Some people said he used to do _anything_ to save someone. No matter what kind of danger, your Dad would walk into it because it was the right thing to do. And the more stories I heard, the more I wondered if you were like him. But this proved it."

Hope raised her eyebrows. "Proved what?"

Allison laughed again, looking sleepy as she shook her head. "That no matter how stupid the idea is... you'd go anywhere to save your friends and family. You're just like him, Hope. I bet he's really proud of you."

Startled, Hope dazedly thanked her friend and said goodbye. As soon as the door was shut, she wondered over that. She could admit her rescue plan was stupid; they were just a bunch of kids, but she'd seen no other option. She had to go to save Ben. And she'd _had_ to stay and save Lexy. It didn't matter that those feats were way above the skills of a first-year student. All that was mattered was that she'd tried.

Had she inherited this from her father? Was nobility something you learned, or something that came with your genetic DNA? Or was it something that she picked up elsewhere? Like her magic? As she walked down the corridor toward the lounge, she glanced down at the bandaged scar on her arm thoughtfully.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: The Trial**

The following day was one full of tension as Hope ate breakfast in the kitchen, knowing full-well what was going to happen today. Her parents had told her that she would be expected to be there, as she was a key witness in the case. Allison would be there briefly, but only to testify and then return to St. Mungo's. Hope was nervous for a number of reasons.

One, she had no idea what to expect. She knew nothing about the Wizengamot or what would happen. She hated public speaking, and Hope knew that they'd put her in the center of the room and have to tell them what happened to her; something she didn't want to think about at all. Her whole life, her parents had protected her from the reporters cornering her and questioning her for the paper. This would be the first time she would speak for herself.

Second, she'd have to talk about Drew, and she'd have to watch her mother as she talked about her. She knew that her mother carried a terrible guilt with her, and that she personally blamed herself for bringing Drew into their lives. She had heard her father try to dissuade her from such thoughts, but it seemed not even he could help her. On top of this, she wasn't eager to relive her time at Malfoy Manor.

Her father came into the kitchen, dressed in emerald robes. "Hope, you'll need to go get dressed in your nice robes, please. We need to be at the Ministry in an hour." Hope thought he looked stressed.

"Yes, Dad." She shoved the rest of her toast into her mouth and hurried from the kitchen. She knew that he was under a lot of stress today, and didn't want to further agitate him.

"Harry, I'm going to drop Ben off at my Mum's," Hope heard her mother call from upstairs. As Hope headed into her bedroom, she thought about how much she envied her little brother. Having been with the Aurors for a long period of time while the fight was going on, they already had his testimony. He was too young to present him before the Wizengamot anyway.

Hope shut her door and quickly went to her closet to get out her good blue robes. They were a pretty dark blue colour. She pulled them on and then went to her vanity, plopping herself down onto the little bench. She stared at her reflection for a long moment, wishing she didn't look so tired. She had dark circles under her eyes and a haunted look reflected in her eyes.

With a sigh, she began brushing her hair and then pulling it back into a simple ponytail. Straightening her robes, she stood and hurried back to her closet to find her good black dress shoes. Once they were on and buckled, she cleaned up her bedroom for lack of anything better to do. She was too anxious to read a book, and yet she didn't want to just wait around for her father to tell her it was time to go.

She brushed her teeth, and then returned to her bedroom to make her bed. She'd finished fluffing her pillows when her mother called her name from downstairs. With a deep breath to calm herself, Hope left her bedroom and descended the stairs.

"You'll go with your father," her mother told her in a dull voice. "We'll disapparate in."

Hope opened the front door, and with her parents behind her, they walked out into the bright sunshine and went straight out to the disapparating point on the edge of the property. When they arrived at the small maple tree where the wards ended, Hope took her father's arm and with a loud crack, she vanished alongside him.

The Ministry was buzzing with activity, as always, but there was a heavy tension in the air. Most people stopped to watch the Potters walk past but this time, Hope didn't care. She heard murmurings and felt people staring and saw them pointing, but she didn't care. Since coming back alive from Malfoy Manor, she realized that people liked to gossip about the legacy of the Potters. And while she felt it should annoy her, it was nice to know who she was. It was nice to know that she had not only lived up to expectations, but she had formed her own identity by surviving.

Hope glanced at her parents who both wore serious expressions as they walked across the Atrium. She noted that they walked a distance apart, and that they seemed very rigid in their postures. She wondered if they were mad at each other.

The trial was to be held in the largest room that they had, owing to the sheer number of people attending the trial. The room was a buzz of noise as Hope and her parents entered. They were quickly ushered to the front row in the center of the tiered seats. Lexy came in with her mother shortly after, and Allison and her mother, about five minutes later.

Five minutes to the trial's beginnings, the officials of the Wizengamot had taken their seats and Aurors entered, taking positions around the room for security. There were plenty of people here that she didn't recognize, including some that she thought were just Ministry-affiliated gawkers who had come to watch.

The Minister for Magic was a middle-aged wizard with short black hair and prominent features. He had piercing blue eyes, a strong jaw and a muscled body beneath his expensive formal robes. He raised his wand and with a shot of red sparks, issued quiet.

"Calling this court to order, Minister for Magic, Jonathan Portakus, and the Wizengamot, on this day of January 1st will hear the case of one Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy has been accused of the following: high-treason in the form of Death Eater activity, the abduction of former Ministry-employed witch Miss Isabella Coy, as well as an accomplice in her murder. Second-degree murder of Miss Drew Hennold and the kidnapping of Mr. Benjamin Potter."

Three more Aurors entered through a side-door with Draco Malfoy in-between them. He wore silver bands around his wrists and plain black robes. He was brought before the Wizengamot, his face in a hard line.

"Mr. Draco Malfoy, son of former, deceased Death Eater Lucius Malfoy: with the charges pressed against you, how do you plead?"

There was a small pause before Draco answered in a clear, grave voice. "Guilty."

There was a murmur of interest.

"And do you intend to plead your case, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I do."

The Minister nodded; his face a professional mask. "Present your case to the court."

Draco was led over to a seat in the center of the room, where he sat with his back to Hope and the viewers, but facing the Wizengamot. He seemed very small before the rows of people staring down at him, scrutinizing and forming their judgements before he'd even opened his mouth.

"I plead guilty in the charges laid against me. I was under the charge of Drew; she issued the orders to kidnap both of the Potter children, and to fight against them and whoever stopped us. I realized too late that she was using us... and I turned against her. I saved my own daughter and then killed Drew before she killed Harry Potter and his daughter."

Draco paused to let the Wizengamot process his statement before he added. "I'm guilty of the crimes, but I would hope that my actions can at least earn me some leeway in terms of my daughter."

This startled the Minister ever so slightly that it broke through his tone and expression. "And what terms would you be like to propose?"

Draco turned slightly in his seat, his eyes finding Lexy in the front row, his face unreadable. He turned back and answered in a hopeful voice, "Weekly, if not monthly visits with her. And after Azkaban, I'd like visitation rights. I've spent far too many years without her in my life, and I'd like to redeem myself and raise her properly."

Hope stared at Lexy, watching her friend who was looking at her father with wide, glassy eyes. Hope was touched; she couldn't believe this man actually had a _good _side to him. After years of hearing terrible stories about the Malfoys, it looked like Draco was finally trying to do the right thing.

The trial continued in which Draco was pressed for information about the battle. Hope listened for what felt like hours while Draco told them everything without restraint. It seemed he really wanted amnesty from his actions. He told them how Drew had planned to only kidnap Hope and told them it was for revenge on the Potters. He explained how Drew had ranted that her years of playing the part of Ginny's best friend had been for nothing when Harry had rescued her from Drew's clutches, and Voldemort had been defeated.

He then revealed that in truth, Drew had uncovered some rare magic involving a special stone that would help her perform a transferral of magic charm. It took her years to find it, but once she got it, I think she decided to inherit the powers of Voldemort. The spell would be able to somehow summon the powers of Voldemort if his killer's blood would be spilled. Once she found out that Harry and his daughter shared a strange magical connection of powers through her scar, she decided to use Hope's blood, figuring that a small child would be a much easier target than Harry Potter.

He told the court that he had also assisted in the kidnapping of Isabella Coy, who told them _how_ to perform the charm and confirmed that Hope's blood would be effective. Since Harry had nearly died years ago and transferred his own powers to his daughter, his powers and life resided in Hope. Killing Hope would be the same as killing Harry.

Hope had a hard time listening to all of this. Her parents both had a hand on her throughout the story, as they listened with grim expressions, both thankful that Hope was safe, and yet terrified at what had nearly happened. Lastly, Draco talked about kidnapping Ben due to the fact that Drew feared his prophetic powers would reveal everything to his parents, and in turn, the Ministry.

"She lied to all the Death Eaters involved. We were all under the insane impression that Drew's spell would bring back Lord Voldemort. She didn't clarify that it was only going to bring back the spirit, if you will, of his abilities, and allow for Drew to inherit them."

"That will be all. The Wizengamot now summons Hope Potter to the stand."

Ginny patted her daughter's arm reassuringly and Hope rose shakily to her feet, swallowing the lump in her throat. The room went silent as they watched Hope walk from her seat to the center of the room. Draco was tugged to the side of the room where he was guarded by a small group of Aurors.

"Please tell us how you ended up in Mr. Malfoy's Manor and the things you encountered there, Miss Potter. Please remember to speak the truth, as this case depends upon it."

...

The day of court was very long. After Hope told the Minister everything that she could remember about being at the Malfoy house, including the fight in the yard, she was allowed to return to her seat. Her father was next to the stand, where he told them how he managed to get through the house and find the fight outside. He repeated his and Draco's conversation, and then how he brought his daughter back himself. Captain Jenn Ritlann's testimony followed his, and then Commander Ziles. Lexy and Allison were the last testimonies to be heard, and much briefer than the others.

Lexy's testimony was rather short as her story wasn't all that long. Lexy simply told the Wizengamot what she told Hope about her father coming to her rescue and delivering her home safely. She then was questioned about her relationship with her father up to this point.

Allison's testimony, however, interested everybody as she was pressed with many, many questions about her side of the story, as well as how she was able to keep herself and Hope alive during the fight. When asked to demonstrate her powers, though, Allison was able to produce a very small arc of a shield, and no more, having still not recovered fully from utter exhaustion.

Hope was surprised that her mother wasn't called up to the stand, and she made a note to ask her parents why that was. Still, looking at her mother's ghostly pale face she thought it was probably for the best. She didn't look well at all, and Harry kept his hand in hers, squeezing it every so often as if to reassure her. Perhaps the court had all the information they needed, or perhaps they had old evidence from the first time that Drew had kidnapped someone, and her mother at that.

"We will re-convene in twenty minutes with our decision," the Minister announced in almost-bored voice at the end of everything. There was a lot of shuffling and murmuring and Hope breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Her eyes found Lexy's head amongst the crowd, and it shocked her to see that she and her mother were moving closer to Draco.

Her mother seemed to be keeping her distance, but Lexy was having a conversation with him. She was positioned a fair distance from him, hugging herself and looking cautious, but Hope thought it could be attributed to the Aurors who were standing around them, watching, listening and waiting for Draco to do something stupid.

"I think your friend may want to give her father a second chance," Hope looked at her father, regarding his interested expression with confusion.

"You hate him... do you think he deserves one?"

"I don't think either of us _hate_ him, Hope." Harry told her quietly.

"He saved you," Ginny added softly, her eyes shining. "In spite of everything he's done before this..." she shrugged, smiling slightly.

"Do _you _think he deserves one?" Harry asked her curiously.

Hope looked back over at Lexy who was now smiling slightly. "I think maybe he does. Maybe he's changed since he met her. He was alone before, remember? Maybe he just needed a kid."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother lean into her father's embrace and her father kiss her mother's head. They had always been like that; affectionate in the slightest way. Always touching each other, always there for each other, and she'd never realized how much of a comfort it was. She had never lived how Lexy did, without a father. Lexy deserved to have her father in her life, and if he was willing to change his life for her as he claimed he would, if the court would let him have rights, why _shouldn't _he be given a second chance?


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Verdict**

The room became restless as members of the Wizengamot either turned to each other to talk, conversational or perhaps related to the case, or they left the room for a break. Beside Hope, Harry sighed and stretched his arms above his head, stiff from having sat still for so long.

"I've always hated this room," he admitted grimly. "The Wizengamot can be ruthless." He removed his glasses and began to clean them on his robes methodically.

"What's going to happen?" Hope asked anxiously. "Is Lexy's dad going to Azkaban?"

Her father hesitated, meeting her mother's eyes for a moment. "I don't know, Hope. There's a lot to consider here..."

"Like what?" Hope pressed, keeping her voice down.

"Might as well tell her, Harry," Ginny interjected. "She's involved already, whether we want her to be or not."

"Even if Malfoy is a bad man," he explained gently, his expression reluctant. He paused, hating to use the word. "Murder is murder, Hope. They have to consider that... the law still has to be in effect."

Hope nodded, understanding. "What about Drew? Would she have gone to Azkaban?"

"Actually, she would be eligible to receive the Dementor's kiss these days," he said in a tight voice. "The Ministry won't take the past for granted, and any revolts would have to be ended."

Hope bowed her head, confused and saddened by this. Her eyes moved across the room to find Lexy again, this time she was re-seated with her mother. "So, even though he saved me, and he saved Lexy... they might still..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Her mother put her arms around her gently. "We don't know until the Minister makes a decision. He knows all the things he's done, Hope, all the things that Death Eaters do... you can't take back a lifetime of terribleness with a few good deeds."

Hope didn't argue anymore. She had enough to think about, all things considered. She understood that he had to be punished for what he did. In spite of the good things that he did at the end, Hope agreed with her parents that he did kidnap two people, her brother included, and while she hated him for that, she was seeing a different side to him; one that whispered to her that _maybe_, just _maybe_ he should be given the tiny second chance he was asking the Wizengamot for.

"I know I should probably hate him for what he did to Ben," Hope finally said, after a long pause. "But I think he has a heart deep down."

"Your friend deserves a family," her mother agreed softly. "I'd want you to have yours." She looked over at her father again and the corners of his lips tilted up into a small smile. Hope knew that they were thinking of the days when she was really small, and her father was out tracking Death Eaters, and her mother was living alone, and in hiding. She knew that her mother had wanted nothing more than for her to have a family.

"We will resume in two minutes!" The Minister called, smoothing his official robes before taking his seat. Hope felt her heart skip a few beats as she re-settled herself, preparing for the verdict.

People were filing back to their seats, and the voices had dimmed to murmurs as they prepared to resume the case. Draco Malfoy was returned to the center seat with a guard of Aurors standing behind his chair. Hope was watching Lexy again, afraid for her friend, and afraid to hear what the Wizengamot would decide. She had never felt so torn before in her life; every kid wanted to grow up, but very rarely were they forced into _this _adult world.

"Take your seats, please!" Called the man directly on the Minister's left. He was a portly little man with very little hair on the top of his head, and a round stomach that protruded out from his robes. He wore overly large round glasses and had squinty little eyes beneath them. Hope was mildly amused by his appearance for a moment.

The Minister straightened in his seat and cleared his throat, ushering silence into the room. It became so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. "The Wizengamot has voted on the case of Mr. Draco Malfoy and the charges placed against him. Owing to the number of crimes, we have voted on them individually in order to place the appropriate punishment upon the man here before us."

He held an official scroll of parchment in his hands now. "In regards to high-treason for Death Eater activity, this court will pardon Mr. Malfoy for his actions in saving Miss Hope Potter from death."

Hope breathed a sigh of relief at this.

"For the abduction of Miss Isabella Coy, this court finds Mr. Malfoy guilty."

The whispering started, but the Minister read on. "For the accusation of accomplice in the murder of Isabella Coy, we find Mr. Malfoy guilty. For second-degree murder of Miss Drew Hennold, the court has pardoned Mr. Malfoy on the unanimous agreement that Miss Drew Hennold would be sentenced to death soon after her capture and imprisonment."

"And finally, for the kidnapping of Mr. Benjamin Potter, we find Mr. Malfoy guilty. With three guilty verdicts to Mr. Draco Malfoy, the Wizengamot has sentenced Mr. Malfoy to a very gracious senentence of twelve years in Azkaban, and after the sentence has been completed, Mr. Malfoy must be re-assessed at the Ministry. In regards to his request and the young age of his child, Alexandria Malfoy, we will grant twenty-four hours twice a month for a visitation in a secure location. Should Mr. Malfoy abuse this court's fair sentencing, we shall convene to re-consider the twelve years and visitation rights. Case dismissed."

Hope remained frozen in her seat, blind-sided by how fast Draco's fate had been sealed. The members of the Wizengamot were already chatting again, most of them filing out through a backdoor so that they wouldn't be harassed by family or friends. Draco was pulled steadily to his feet, his hands still bound and four wands trained on him as he was led over to Lexy who had hurried down the stand to the floor to say goodbye.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, and when Lexy started crying a few moments later, Hope forced herself to turn away. This wasn't her moment to observe; it felt too private, especially when Hope herself was unsure of how she felt about all of this. Her father seemed to sense her feelings of discomfort as he placed a hand on her shoulder and began to guide her to the door and away from the scene in the court room.

Hope glanced back, unsure if she should even say goodbye to Lexy, but her father had already arrived at the exit. As soon as the doors swung open, flashbulbs of a million cameras started going off, and there was a lot of shouting. Hope held her hand up to shield her eyes from the light and covering most of her face, keeping her eyes on the floor as she walked safely between both her parents. She had learned his at a young age so that there wouldn't be a million pictures of her out in the world.

People were screaming endless questions at her and her parents about their opinions on the case, but her father kept answering "no comment" in a firm, expressionless tone. As they turned down the hall, some photographers and reporters followed, others stood behind to capture others in hopes of having something to report in the morning.

"Hope! Hope! What was it like to be eleven-years-old and surrounded by Death Eaters and Dementors?"

"Hope! Did you feel that Draco Malfoy should have been sentenced to death?"

"Hope, how does it feel to follow in your father's footsteps; to face death and win?"

The last question made her pause and raise her eyes up to face the young male reporter with long blonde hair and a three-day beard who had asked her that question. He was holding a small recording device out toward her, looking hopeful as the flashes now focused on her. It was as if the cameras themselves were excited to have someone stop for them.

"Hope," Ginny called out cautiously, watching her carefully. Hope glanced at her timidly and then shook her head at the reporter. She wasn't sure why she wanted to answer; she knew her parents disapproved of children being exposed to the paparazzi. But for the past few days, she'd been forced to grow up a lot.

She thought for a moment and then responded. "I know who I am, with or without my father's scar on my arm," Hope told the crowd in a nervous, but loud voice. "Allison really saved me, and being a Potter doesn't entitle me to greatness. If I want to be anything like my father, I'll actually have to work hard, like he did."

She stepped closer to her parents again the moment she'd finished speaking and the Potters walked quickly down the hall, escaping the crowd of reporters and the cameras. Her mother gently rubbed her back.

"That was a very grown-up thing to say, Hope," she said proudly, smiling down at her. "They'll love you for giving them something so... _heroic_." She threw a bemused look at Harry as she said the word.

Hope flushed. "It was hardly heroic, Mum. It was the truth... I'm _me_, and I'll be me because I'll work hard to become a good witch, not because I'm a Potter and I survived _this_."

"We're proud of you," Harry told her, tugging playfully on a strand of her hair. "I wouldn't advise giving the press _too_ much attention. I told you the story of Rita Skeeter, right?" He chuckled at the memory and Hope giggled.

"I remember what Aunt Hermione did to her, yes."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Then remember that you never know who is quoting you with ink, and who is using a quick-quotes quill. You _never_ know what they'll write about you."

"Well, we know what they'll be writing about for a week, at least," Harry mused. "'Daughter of the Great Harry Potter survives Death Eater attack.'"

Hope scoffed and then grinned. "'_Reporters Fear Harry Potter is Training his Children to do Battle at a Young Age.'"_

Ginny chuckled and put her arm around her daughter. "Hope may be close, Harry. It _does_ sound like something they would print. They'll wonder what things she'll do to outshine you."

Harry looked at his daughter as they walked, contemplating the possibilities. "Well, I suppose I'll have to give her my invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map if I'm going to get her started." Ginny opened her mouth to object and then shrugged with a smile.

"You know what, for _our_ family, I think maybe it's a good idea. It got you out of a lot of tight spots, so I guess it's better to give Hope that advantage as well. Although, if she's anything like James Potter and Sirius Black, I'll tell the press myself what a terrible parenting job you've been doing."

"Really?" Hope said, her jaw dropping in surprise. "I can have the cloak and the map?"

Harry nodded. "Hope, you can't do battle without them. How else do you think I snuck out to get into so much trouble at Hogwarts?" He smiled, his mood sobering slightly as they approached the fireplaces for the Floo Network at the end of the long corridor they'd been walking through.

"My father passed it on to me, and it's about time I passed it to you. I don't know how else you and your friends would get past Snape after curfew."

Hope smiled and shrugged. "Thanks, Dad. Although I'm sure we could manage it. Snape loves all Slytherins, and you were never best friends with one."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**: **Returning to the Normal Life of a First-Year**

Hope crumbled her third piece of parchment with a frustrated slur of words under her breath and tossed it in the rubbish bin in the corner. Dominic chuckled when she missed and leaned over to toss it in for her and then returned to reading his Charms textbook. On the arm-chair across from Hope, Allison sat trying to turn a piece of fabric different colours without her wand- an assignment given by her wandless magic Professor.

"Allison, you're changing my shoe laces again," Hope said suddenly, glancing at her right shoe which now was laced with green string instead of the uniform black.

"Sorry," Allison murmured, changing it back. "It's hard to keep focused on this little piece of cotton." She returned to her task with a heavy sigh and continued to press her hand in mid-air over it. The fabric immediately flared red and she smiled at it, pleased. "Well, that's better than it was before."

"Weren't you trying to turn it green?" Dominic asked curiously. Allison playfully swatted at Dominic, rolling her eyes.

"You want to try, genius?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and thrusting the piece of fabric toward him. Dominic shook his head and laughed.

"Just don't turn ME red or green or pink or anything, okay?"

"I cannot write essays in the common room," Hope sighed sadly, setting her parchment and book down.

Allison glanced up. "Lexy is probably still in the library," she told her. "I'm sure she'd like a study partner."

Hope nodded and began packing her things up. "You two going to stay here?" She asked, slinging her bag to her shoulder.

Allison and Dominic both nodded and Hope said goodbye and hurried from the common room and through the portrait hole. She passed several students, most of them in small groups of two or three, all happily chatting and heading back to their respective common rooms for the night.

The castle was fairly quiet other than a soft buzz of voices and footsteps. Hope reached the library in no time and took another few minutes to find Lexy at a large empty table somewhere near the first few shelves of books. Her friend looked up in surprise to see Hope here and smiled in greeting, her finger pausing on the sentence she'd been reading.

"Studying hard?" Hope asked in a hushed voice, dropping her bag on the floor and sliding into a seat across from Lexy.

Lexy shrugged, her cheeks turning a soft pink and glanced down at the open book in front of her. "Yes, but it's not for school," she admitted sheepishly.

"What are you working at?"

Lexy smiled slightly. "I'm just reading up on some legal stuff."

Hope raised her eyebrows in surprise, but tried not to react too visibly. Lexy had barely spoken about the trial and whenever any of them brought it up, she quickly changed the topic. No one blamed her; it was bad enough that the entire world knew that her father had kidnapped Benjamin Potter, kidnapped and assisted in the murder of a special Ministry-employed psychic and had intended to help in the Death Eater revolt.

Even worse was that _The Daily Prophet_ had focused on the terrible things that Malfoy had done, and pretty much ignored the fact that he killed Drew, saved Hope, and in turn, saved the world from Drew inheriting Voldemort's powers; something that would have resulted in thousands of deaths and another war.

Lexy hated the fact that people were now either extremely nice to her out of sympathy, or would stare at her like she was dangerous too. A few third years had actually had the nerve to tease Lexy in front of the entire school by loudly telling Hope to run before 'the Malfoy girl tried to do Potter's daughter in again.' Lexy had burst into tears and raced off to her dormitory before any of her friends could stop her.

"Kids are cruel," Allison had said repeatedly in a wise-tone, gently rubbing Lexy's back one night that the staring and whispers were particularly nasty in the first week of being back at Hogwarts. "I would know... I didn't have any friends until I came here and met you guys. But I've learned not to care what others think, Lex. _We're_ your friends and everyone else can just buzz off."

"What are you reading about?" Hope asked curiously.

Lexy hesitated and the answered, "Just some policies about Azkaban... the visitation rights and stuff..."

"Find anything worthwhile?" Hope asked lightly, pulling out her own books as Lexy shook her head no, but she didn't look disappointed.

"No. I don't really know what I'm looking for. It makes me feel better though, to know that there's a chance..." she broke off, her eyes downcast. "For my family," she finished in a muttered voice.

Hope nodded, understanding. "Eventually people forget the past, Lexy. My family used to be harassed every week by reporters. Now we really only get them when something happens... or when they want a fluff piece about the _charming Potter family_." She made a noise of disgust as she set up her books.

"Or now... when they want to talk about the all-powerful Hope Potter with a scar just like her father's," Lexy reminded her dryly.

"I'll keep my arm bandaged until they forget," Hope replied grimly, glancing at the bandages. "It still hasn't healed anyway... bet they'd love that; a nice gory shot of my mutilated arm."

Lexy smiled slightly and then bit her lip. "Sorry I keep hiding out from you guys. I don't mean to do it."

Hope looked up at her friend, startled. They all knew she'd been distance with them, but no one had ever been upset over it. Everyone understood that she needed time. "Lexy, you've been through a lot. We're not mad."

"I just didn't expect my dad to be a good guy after all, you know?" Lexy replied shyly. "After I watched him take your brother... its been terrible and embarrassing and scary and-"

Hope held up her hand to stop her rambling as Madame Pince poked her head out to discover the reason for the talking in her library. Both girls immediately went quiet as they pretended to read until she left.

"Honestly, Lex, we get it. We were there, remember? No hard feelings. Things will go back to normal soon. We've only been back a few weeks... we _all _have a lot to get used to."

Lexy smiled again, timidly. "Thanks," she whispered sincerely. She pulled her book closer and returned to reading, looking more comfortable in her seat than she'd been a minute ago.

Satisfied that that conversation was over, Hope dug around in her bag for a quill when she found a book she'd forgot she'd had in there. Her parents had gotten it for her before they'd sent her back to school- it was a short book on magical scars and their properties. She'd flipped through it a little on the train and had kept it with her, but had all but forgotten about the little green paperback book until now.

Hope opened it to the table of contents and flipped to a section about telepathic communications and began to read. Her father had pointed out this section specifically to her as this was what he had experienced growing up. He had shared a connection with Voldemort; just like she shared a connection with her father.

_Some magical wounds can have astounding properties which allow the spell castor and injured wizard or witch to share a bond, which is most easily recognized during a situation in which the senses are heightened or when the body is controlled by its emotions. It is possible to consciously choose to open or block this connection with training in Occlumency or Legilimency. _

_Most of the reported cases of magical scarring tell experts that they find their connection is most powerful during sleep, but in rare cases, much like an untrained witch or wizard, the connection is at its strongest during a moment of extreme emotions, or in some cases, a near-death experience. _

Hope stopped reading as she recounted what had happened in Malfoy's yard. She had been sure that the end was coming; she could feel it as the Dementors swarmed closer and hopelessness overcame her. She remembered feeling herself slipping away as her arm lifted of its own accord and she screamed out "expecto patronum" and her father's patronus had burst out from her wand-tip. It was a strange concept to grasp to think that her father had saved her by using the connection between them.

She wondered if she could do the same for him? If she learned legilimency and her father was in trouble miles away, could she count on her scar to save him? Would she know he was in danger? Did he know she was in danger? She hadn't actually asked him about that...

She absent-mindedly ran her fingers across her scar over the bandages as she thought of the possibilities one day. She didn't like the attention, or the emphasis having this scar had on her life, but if she could use it to do some good, why not embrace it?

Allison wished she could use a wand so she could be like everyone else, but she was upstairs in the common room, learning how to use her powers. The girl was exploding with magic that a wand was rendered useless. Hope wanted to do the same, no matter how scary. Her father had told her that Occlumency was a terribly painful and frustrating branch of magic to learn, but Hope knew she would have to endure it. She _wanted _to endure it.

The scar on her arm had always been a source of mild embarrassment in the expectations of being like her father that came with it. If there was a chance she could turn that into a source of power for her, she would take it. She had her own expectations for herself, after all. She wasn't Harry Potter, though the image of him in the public eye wasn't far off when it came to Hope. She was happy that at least her scar wasn't in plain sight on her forehead like his was.

"What time is it, Hope?" Lexy asked suddenly, interrupting Hope's thoughts.

Hope glanced at her watch. "Uh-oh... five to nine... we've got to get back soon before curfew."

Lexy grimaced and agreed, hurrying to put the law book away. She came back and packed up the rest of her things. "Ugh, I'm starved. I should have ate more at dinner," she complained quietly as she and Hope left the Library together at a quickened pace.

"Me too," Hope sighed. "I'll be up late doing this essay, too."

They began their brisk walk back up to the Entrance Hall when Hope paused and grinned. Lexy stopped too and glanced back at Hope, confused. Hope immediately dropped her bag and began digging quickly through her bag.

"Hope, come on, I don't want to lose any points," Lexy complained impatiently.

Hope finally found what she was looking for and she pulled the beautiful silvery cloak from her bag and shook it out. Lexy stared at it, confused. "Is that a-?"

Hope nodded and laughed. "Want to grab some food from the kitchen?" She asked, slinging her bag back on her shoulders.

Lexy grinned and hurried closer to Hope. The girls made sure they were alone in the corridor before Hope draped the silky cloak over herself and Lexy. They began to edge forward, careful not to move too fast or expose their feet.

Lexy stifled a giggle behind Hope as they moved. "I think Hogwarts just got a whole lot more interesting," she whispered.

"Just wait until I show you my map," Hope replied, smiling as they stepped aside to let a group of Ravenclaws hurry past them toward the staircases.

"Your map?" Lexy asked.

"Granddaughter of the Marauders right here," Hope said proudly. "The cloak was my Grandfather's too."

"The Marauders?"

Hope held her fingers to her lips as Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall passed, chatting about something or other, their faces serious. Once they were out of sight, they crept on toward the kitchens.

"I'll tell you later... we've got plenty of time to talk about the trouble-making we've got to get up to so I can make my granddad proud, let alone my dad and Dom's dad... it starts with sneaking around after curfew, though. I'd say we're on our way."

Lexy smiled. "A Gryffindor and a Slytherin breaking the rules together is already enough of a step up, I'd say," Lexy joked in a serious voice.

Hope grinned as she knocked softly at the door to the kitchen. "Who would have thought?"

THE END.


End file.
